There’s no denying that we live in a world where appearances matter. Whether you’re being introduced to an important client, networking on Zoom, or interviewing for your dream job, first impressions are incredibly valuable! Aside from your overall appearance and mannerisms, a healthy smile can be perceived as an indicator of everything from confidence to intelligence. In fact, a perception study by Kelton for Invisalign discovered that a person’s teeth were often the catalyst for assumptions about their success, popularity, wealth, and even their trustworthiness. That’s why we’re taking a look at why you’re more likely to get hired with a straight teeth.
Snap judgments may not be fair, but you can use them to your advantage when you have a beautiful smile that stands out from the crowd. Here at Beim Orthodontics, we can help you achieve that with a variety of affordable treatment options! Our talented team is able to correct crooked teeth, misalignments, and many other orthodontics issues that may be affecting how you feel about your smile. Improving your oral health can have a positive effect on both your personal and professional life! Keep reading below to learn more about why you’re more likely to get hired with a straight smile.
Leave a lasting impression
We all have the ability to communicate with each other in nonverbal ways through something called psychological cues. The gestures we use, our posture, and our overall appearance send a message to those around us even before any words are exchanged. So what does your smile say about you?
Your smile can speak for you when using both verbal and nonverbal communication, which means it often has an audience making subconscious assumptions about you based on what they see. Whether you’re trying to land a promotion or close out a contract, it’s important to give the right impression. Presenting yourself with a confident, healthy smile will leave a positive impression on others that will last long after you leave the room!
Boost your confidence
The impression you leave on others is enough of a reason to work towards better oral health, but having a healthy smile can be beneficial in plenty of other ways, too! Crooked teeth are harder to keep clean, and misalignment can cause a number of issues, including pain and tenderness in the mouth and jaw.
Being self-conscious about the appearance of your smile can also keep you from stepping outside your comfort zone. Invisalign actually did a survey on this subject, and found that almost 80% of adults who underwent orthodontic treatment said the improvement in their smile gave them the confidence to do something they never would have considered doing before. If you ask us, that’s a pretty inspiring statistic!
Use first impressions to your advantage
In the 1920s, researcher Edward Thorndike described a phenomenon he called the “halo effect.” This explains the way our brains tend to attribute multiple positive qualities to a person based on us noticing just one positive quality. In other words, we tend to make up information about a person based on our own perception of them. So what does that have to do with smiles?
Invisalign wanted to know the same thing, so they asked Kelton Global to conduct a perception study on the role smiles play in how we perceive people. This survey was taken by over a thousand Americans and contrasted images of men and women with straight and crooked teeth. Participants were shown images of people with various tooth issues and asked to give an honest opinion about them. The results of the study indicated that Americans tend to view people with straight teeth as having more desirable qualities than those with crooked teeth, including professional success!
They also found that about two-thirds of those surveyed were more likely to remember a beautiful smile than a feature they found to be unpleasant. You’ll be able to use these to your advantage when you have a healthy, confident smile on your side.
Share a smile to set the tone
A genuine smile can help set a positive tone in almost any situation. When your teeth look and feel good, you’ll want to share your smile with everyone around you! That’s something people will pay attention to, whether you’re interviewing for a job, giving a presentation, or trying to impress a new client.
Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you and the feature they tend to remember most clearly when recalling you later on. If you come across as stiff, unfriendly, or stand-offish, it can hurt your chances of succeeding on both a personal and professional level. On the other hand, a beautiful smile can warm the room right up and leave others thinking of you fondly even after you’ve said goodbye.
Get ahead with a gorgeous smile from Beim Orthodontics
Most of us were taught not to judge a book by its cover, but people do just that every day! We live in a society where how you look helps determine what others think of you, even if that happens subconsciously. Orthodontic treatment can help you achieve a smile that looks amazing and is fully functional, too!
A healthy smile has also been linked to better moods, increased positivity, and being able to more easily connect with those around you. And that’s not all! Feeling confident about your smile can reduce your stress levels and increase your chances of making a positive first impression that lasts. With no dental referral necessary and a FREE consultation, you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain by scheduling an appointment with Dr. Beim.
If you’re in Lake Mary or the surrounding communities, Beim Orthodontics is here to give you a smile that sets you apart. Get in touch today to find out how you can begin your orthodontic journey with a free virtual or in-office consultation!