How to get a smile makeover

People today are accessing orthodontic services to enhance their smile – but this phenomenon is neither a modern trend nor limited to a geographical region. Ancient Egyptians were binding human teeth with gold wire to make dentures as far back as 15000 BC. Cultures across the ages, from the Italians and Mexicans to the Mayans and the Japanese, have used ivory, animal, and human teeth to make dentures. Even George Washington was known to use dentures throughout his life.

The relationship between smile and personality

People are always conscious about how they look and are perceived by others. This is not surprising. First impressions do matter – and a smile can often determine the kind of impact that people have on others. A genuine smile gives the impression of warmth and trustworthiness, and is associated with confidence, friendliness, happiness, and ‘positive vibes.’ Aesthetically pleasing smiles are also considered as indicators of higher intellectual and social abilities.

This is where things become slightly complicated. Why? Because how people perceive a smile is correlated to how it looks. According to a study, the attractiveness of a smile corresponds to the size of teeth, visibility of teeth, and upper lip position. However, not everyone feels comfortable smiling a full-teethed smile because they may possess misaligned, crooked, or gapped teeth. Insecurities stemming from malocclusion leads to lower self-esteem which, in turn, affects one’s personal, professional, and social interactions, as well as the way their personality is construed by others.

While, as mentioned above, orthodontic treatment has existed for some time, the traditional method of smile correction which uses metal braces doesn’t enthuse many people for many reasons. Besides being uncomfortable and painful to wear, they serve to undermine the confidence of people already conscious of their looks. This is precisely where modern smile makeover services are stepping in to step up the age-old tradition of orthodontic treatment a level further.

Smile correction as a step in the pursuit of the holistic personality development

Modern smile correction services offer invisible, empathetic, flexible, and irritation-free alternatives to metal braces. Through products such as clear aligners – custom-made dental appendages made of nearly transparent material – new-age brands are reaching out to a larger segment of people. It includes glamour-conscious individuals and those who frequently need to navigate social and professional spheres. With aligners, beneficiaries also have the advantage of removing them to attend special occasions or while eating their favorite food.

Owing to these benefits, smile makeover services are becoming popular among the new generations. Modern-day individuals are aware of various issues concerning body image which interferes with how they see themselves. The aim of smile correction goes beyond the ambit of enhancing body image. A smile also functions as a therapeutic response for the body. Several studies show that smiling positively stimulates the brain as much as done by 2,000 chocolate bars. Imagine the number of calories one can save just by putting a smile on their face!

Socially and culturally aware youth of today are aware that only by becoming the best version of themselves can they become a better member of society, capable of unlocking a brighter, healthier, and more cheerful future for all. With easily accessible services and a host of resources available online, many people are increasingly embarking on the self-improvement journey to achieve the maximum potential of personal development.

With inputs from Dr Arpi Mehta, Co-founder and CEO at toothsi.