If you don’t feel great about your smile, you might think that it’s not impacting anything other than how you feel about the reflection looking back at you from your mirror. Unfortunately, having a smile that you’re less than thrilled about can actually impact other areas of your life, including your job, your social life and even your love life!
Can Your Teeth Impact Your Career?
If you have crooked, discolored or missing teeth, it could be holding you back professionally. In fact, the cycle of bad teeth and a lack of employment can become a spiral: If your teeth don’t look nice, you might not be able to get a job that pays enough for you to have dental work done, which, in turn, makes it difficult for you to get your teeth taken care of, leading to continued decreased employment options.
Those working in customer service or where face-to-face communication with clients or other professionals is required will have the hardest time finding an appropriate job if they don’t have a nice smile.
The Impacts of Low Self-Esteem
If you feel bashful about how your teeth look, it’s natural that you might not smile as much as you would if you were proud of your shiny, straight teeth. Not smiling often can cause other people to think that you are angry, shy, sad or otherwise not interested in communicating. This can lead not only to low self-esteem, but also a negatively impacted social life. Unattractive teeth can make you less likely to date, too, if you are feeling bad about your appearance.
What Can You Do About It?
The good news is that there are several ways that you can have your smile spruced up. If you are looking for a less expensive option, bonding might be enough to close up some spaces and even out misshapen teeth. Veneers are another possibility; these cover your front teeth and can make them all appear even and the same color. Braces for adults can bring misaligned teeth into place; you can choose from various options if you don’t want metal braces to show when you smile. If you just want your teeth lightened, there are several options for that, too.
Talk to your dentist about how you can begin to feel better about your smile. It can literally change your life.