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The Importance of a Smile
Cosmetic makeovers have been a hot topic in the news,
magazines, reality television, and dramas like “Nip and Tuck.”
Makeovers involve the expertise of many professionals: plastic
surgeons, makeup artists, hair stylists, personal trainers, and
cosmetic dentists. The smile makeover through cosmetic
dentistry is a major aspect of all of the facial makeover
programs. I will be discussing what is involved in a smile
change, and the different methods to accomplish a smile
makeover. I will be discussing whitening, veneers, cosmetic
crowns, bonding, implants, and the straightening of teeth with
traditional braces and invisible braces.
I will begin by discussing the significance of having a
terrific smile. First impressions are so important, and a
person’s smile is the window to that impression, with either a
happy warm positive smile or a sad sheepish withdrawn one. In a
recent study 92% of the people polled thought that a person’s
smile could affect their careers. I once had an insurance
salesman who was trying to sell me disability insurance, but he
had one upper front tooth that was obviously a fake, large,
dark tooth which stuck outward. It was extremely distracting,
especially considering he was speaking to a dentist. It made
him seem like a con artist used car salesman (No offense to
used car salesman. We dentists have to live with jokes about
root canals, but that is for a later article).
He was selling a good product and something I needed, but I
could not concentrate on what he was saying. I did buy the
insurance and luckily I did after my last year’s experience
with cancer. I also restored the natural beauty of his smile
with crowns and veneers. He later told me that it was the best
thing that he had ever done for his business. Establishing
immediate rapport with a winning smile is so vital in building
relationships.
Studies have shown that 93% of communication between people is
non-verbal. Only 7% of what people react to and hear is the
content of what is being said. What is most important is the
person’s body language and facial expression. A beautiful
positive smile helps make people listen to you and respond in a
positive way.
Many of my patients say that they never smile because of the
look of their teeth. They are psychologically self-conscious
about their smile and it affects their personality. What a
wonderful change for them after a smile makeover. I had one 40
something male patient who never smiled, and grew a giant
walrus mustache to hide his upper teeth which were dark and
crooked with large spaces between them. He had an Eeyore
personality (the donkey from Winnie the Pooh); he appeared sad
and timid.
After making him a new smile with veneers, he shaved his
mustache off and walked around with the biggest Cheshire cat
grin. He became effervescent and laughed aloud. It literally
changed his personality to a more out going and positive one
and people reacted to him accordingly.
My main focus as a health care professional is health. I am all
about health! I believe in exercise. I ride my bicycle to work,
love to swim, snorkel and scuba dive. I hike and play golf and
work in the yard. I just enjoy getting outside and moving
around. I believe in having a balanced diet and I try eating in
moderation.
I believe in brushing and flossing, and having regular dental
and medical check ups. In future articles, I will discuss
dental health, because to me it is the most important. However,
after practicing for over 25 years, I understand the equally
and sometimes more important psychological significance of a
beautiful smile. In my next article, I will discuss the
components that make a terrific smile and what is involved in
designing a new beautiful smile.
by George A. Malkemus, D.D.S. - 2006
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Source: http://www.malkemusdds.com/articles.aspx?id=27
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