When you first meet someone, what is the first thing you notice about them? Is it their eyes? Their nose, their hair? Maybe even their outfit?
When you first meet someone, what is the first thing you notice about them? Is it their eyes? Their nose, their hair? Maybe even their outfit? For many people, the first thing they notice when meeting someone else, especially for the first time, is their smile - more specifically, their teeth! Your smile is often the first thing that will catch someone's eye, and throughout a first impression, your teeth are front and center during a conversation.
Since it's so important to have a good smile and great teeth, a branch of dentistry was created specifically for the outward appearance of teeth! It's the job of a cosmetic dentist to help people fix their broken smiles and find the smile that best allows them to express themselves and leave a great, lasting first impression. Cosmetic dentistry focuses less on the health of teeth and more on their aesthetic appearance in someone's facial features.
Having your smile corrected by a cosmetic dentist can boost self-esteem, inspire confidence and leave everyone you meet with a great first impression of you! Services offered by most cosmetic dentistry practices include teeth whitening, tooth-colored fillings, veneers, braces or Invisalign retainer systems, enamel shaping, crowns, and several other services.
How Your Teeth Represent You
Many people look at a person's teeth to try and determine their level of personal or oral hygiene, their station in life, and even their personalities. You may not think so, but the aesthetic appearance of your teeth and smile can negatively or positively impact others' first impressions of you from the very beginning.
Lack of Care
Discoloration or staining of the teeth from smoking, drinking darker drinks and not brushing your teeth can dull your smile and make it seem as though you don't take care of your teeth! This could negatively affect someone's first impression of you, even if you do take care of your teeth.
It may seem as if you don't brush your teeth, go to the dentist, or care very much about your appearance at all. Luckily services like teeth whitening and cosmetic laser treatments can take care of stubborn staining and discoloration on a person's teeth, even stains that have been there for a very long time.
Esteem
Your self-esteem can suffer if you are not confident in your smile. Someone who is not confident in their teeth and their smile will likely try and hide what they have in fear of being judged or ridiculed for their teeth. They may think others will assume they have poor personal or oral hygiene. This means they are less likely to smile, make direct eye contact, speak, make physical contact like a handshake, and open up to whomever they are meeting.
If you are not comfortable with smiling and talking during a first impression, it can be difficult to leave any lasting impression at all, especially a positive one. You may come off as rude, uninterested in the conversation, or just plain shy. Having your smile corrected by a cosmetic dentist can fix this issue, boosting self-confidence and giving you a smile you can show off to others and be proud of.
Perception
Having crooked or gapped teeth may negatively affect someone's first impression of you, even if it's something you were born with that is out of your control. They may assume someone with crooked teeth is in a lower income bracket and can't afford to cosmetically fix their smile, or that they simply can't be bothered to. Others may just find it off-putting. Having a crooked smile can also negatively affect your self-confidence.
If you have a straighter smile, you are more likely to show it off during a first impression. Your self-confidence will be boosted and it will be easier to talk, laugh and smile while you let your true self shine through. Braces, Invisalign and cosmetic dental surgery are several ways cosmetic dentists can straighten someone's smile!
Final Note
A smile you can be proud of is important when it comes to first impressions. There will be no chance for someone to make negative assumptions about you based on the appearance of your teeth, and you will have a higher level of self-confidence that will make leaving a positive first impression easy as can be!
Dr. Marc Lazare, President of Cosmetic Innovations, Inc., is one of the experts in cosmetic dentistry in New York. He is a well-known lecturer, dental columnist, inventor, teacher and consultant in the field of cosmetic dentistry. Dr. Lazare is known by many as "Dentist to the Stars" for his high-profile clientele, which has included Liza Minnelli and Cindy Adams. He has developed techniques, mobile applications, and cosmetic dentistry inventions to further his field.
Dr. Lazare and his team offer teeth whitening, dental veneers, enamel reshaping, composite tooth bonding, cosmetic laser treatment, and many more services for those wanting to fix or enhance their smile. To schedule an appointment or for more information, call Dr. Lazare at 212-861-2599 or send an email to office@drmarclazare.com.