Ho-Hum Lovelife? Your Dentist May Be Why You’re Lonely!

To get a date with Mister or Miss Right,

84 percent of adults perceive having an attractive smile as important, according to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive. This poll of 1,000 American adults between the ages of 18 and 50 years found that more than one-third would not be likely to set up their best friend on a blind date with someone with bad teeth. An overwhelming majority--85 percent--considers a person's smile to be very or somewhat important when meeting someone for the first time. Almost 9 out 10 Americans polled said they thought people with good teeth are more attractive. Among many factors, this poll explored the importance of smiles in the social arena, as well as dating and marriage.

Fortunately, improving a smile is now more accessible than ever because cosmetic dentistry is available to just about everyone. Even the subtlest change in your smile can make a dramatic difference in the way you look and feel about yourself, and the way others perceive you. Talk to your cosmetic dentist and ask about white fillings, teeth whitening, dental bonding, dental crowns and dental veneers. Then sit back in your chair and wait for your new life to begin.

When Changing Your Image, Start With Your Smile

According to studies by social psychologists, most people spend about 30 seconds appraising you before they begin to form a laundry list of impressions about you. Impressions formed in the first 30 seconds might include: your educational level; your career competence and success; your personality; your level of sophistication; your trustworthiness; your sense of humor; and your social heritage. For better or worse, this means that appearances count in today's world, according to Susan Bixler's book The Professional Image, published by Adams Media Corporation.

When meeting someone for the first time, the way you look is even more important than what you say. Sociolinguist Albert Mehrabian found in his comprehensive research on communication that 7 percent of a verbal message comes from the words used; 38 percent comes from the vocal tone, pacing, and inflection; and 55 percent is transmitted by the speaker's appearance and body language. Your smile is one of the first features people notice about you in personal encounters.

A new smile can make you look better and younger, boost your self-confidence and self-esteem, as well as increase your communication ability, your sex appeal, and impact on your personal and professional relationships. And getting that smile isn't as complicated as you might imagine. Many people can have a dramatic change in their smile with just a few visits to the dentist. So many options are available today that there is no reason why you need to suffer the injustice of a poor job or a failed relationship just because you don't have an attractive smile.

Whiter Teeth May Boost Your Kiss-ability Rating

One-third of 1,000 American adults ages 18 to 50 years old would not be likely to kiss someone with bad teeth, according to a recent poll conducted by Harris Interactive. Bad teeth are often associated with poor oral hygiene, low self-worth, and a poor appearance. Conversely, whiter teeth are associated with beauty and health, as well as youth and energy, and perhaps not surprisingly, tooth whitening is the most common cosmetic service provided by dentists.

Tooth whitening removes stains from teeth caused by coffee, teas, tobacco, food, wine and tartar. Generally, you can whiten your teeth using one of three methods: in-office whitening, at-home whitening, or whitening toothpaste. In-office whitening has the most dramatic results with your teeth becoming up to eight shades whiter in about an hour while the at-home method can take about two weeks.

Great smiles attract other great smiles, the experts add. According to the Academy of General Dentistry, people with noticeable dental neglect are 32 times more likely to have a partner with noticeable neglect. People without visible dental neglect are 5.4 times more likely to have a comparable partner. So if Cupid still hasn't supplied the right romance, try tooth whitening to attract your heart's desire.

Can Your Smile Spark an Important Relationship?

Would you be attracted to someone with chipped, dark, ugly teeth? We bet if you had to choose between a person with bad teeth and someone else with a wide open smile that has even, straight, white teeth, you'd pick the person with the great, inviting smile. Why is that? Can the appearance of your smile make a big difference in how people of the opposite sex treat you? Dental experts say a warm smile is a key ingredient to unlocking somebody else's heart.

With a few simple procedures that may take only two or three appointments performed by a cosmetic dentist, your personal life could soar. Today's high-tech procedures can change an awkward smile that keeps away the new dates to a confident, attractive smile that can foster the most important relationship of your life.

Of all the features you can change about yourself, your smile is one of the easiest and fastest to fix. Once you make a decision to improve your smile, once you find the right dentist who is trained in cosmetic dentistry, you can begin your journey toward having a smile that can lead your life toward personal success.