How Cosmetic Dentistry Can Increase Your Paycheck

The better you look, the more confident you feel, and the more you earn.

It's no secret that when your smile is radiant, when your teeth are straight and white, when your facial appearance is attractive, you can create a welcoming first impression. The "million-dollar smile" could be taken literally for executives — in how much they earn because of it.

Recent research shows a connection between how much is in your paycheck and your appearance. A study released by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis found that more attractive people earned 5 percent more an hour than their less good-looking counterparts.

Just about everybody would agree that a dazzling smile is an important social asset, according to the results of a survey conducted by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. By the same token, 74 percent of those surveyed said an unattractive smile can hurt a person's chances for career success.

If you're self-conscious about your smile, your job performance may suffer. Yet if your smile is bright and genuine, chances are you exude confidence and good cheer, which makes you easily approachable and pleasant for business transactions.

The truth is, however, that few people are blessed with perfect smiles. And luckily, you don't have to be a high-earning executive to afford a million-dollar smile. With the latest advances in dentistry, including smile whitening, straightening, or replacing teeth, many procedures can be completed in two or three visits.

Are You Happy With Your Smile?

If you're not, you're not the only one. The smile is the most prominent feature of your face, the one other people often notice first or second, right after your eyes. If your teeth are crooked, stained, or missing, other people might form a negative first impression of you within the first 30 seconds. It could take hours or years to reverse that negativity through extensive conversation and noble, selfless deeds. Do you really have that much time with every client?

In the social arena, 94 percent of those polled said they are likely to notice a person's smile when they meet them for the first time. More than one half (71%) believe people with a nice smile make
friends more easily. Over one third agree that bad teeth overshadow the rest of a person's appearance. When meeting someone for the first time, an over-whelming majority (85%) agreed that a person's smile is very important.

These results are from a survey conducted by Harris Interactive Inc., of Rochester, New York, most widely known for The Harris Poll and pioneering leadership in online market research. They polled
a representative sample of 1,000 American adults, both men and women, between 18 and 50 years of age. The poll explored the importance of smiles in relation to business and careers, as well as dating and marriage, the social arena, and the overall value of smiles and self-esteem.

The All-Important Job Interview Can Hinge on Your Smile

In the business world, appearances count. One college career planning and placement center surveyed 150 employers to discover the number-one reason for rejecting an applicant after the first interview. Of all the possible motives to discount someone for the job, the number one excuse was personal appearance.

Personal appearance includes clothes, posture, clean hands, and a pleasant face. At the center of the face is the smile, the facial feature most interviewers will focus upon as they ask their questions. Poor appearance was ranked even more significant than being a "hostile, overbearing know-it-all" (reason no. 9) or "late for the interview without good reason" (reason no. 28).

In Susan Bixler's best-selling book The Professional Image (Adams Media Corporation), she details a study conducted by the Fairleigh Dickinson University that researched the impact of an effective business appearance on a starting salary. A group of identical resumes were sent to more than a thousand companies with a "before" photo of the applicant or an "after" photo. The results underlined the importance of appearance in the determination of a starting job salary. Starting salaries ranged 8 to 20 percent higher in the "after" group, as the result of upgrading a mediocre business appearance to one that is polished and effective. Apparently employers want their people to look the part — professional, confident, energetic, and loaded with high self-esteem.

A Whiter Smile Can Bring in More Green

Tooth whitening can help most people look better, up to 95 percent of them. It's not mere vanity that makes people seek cosmetic dentistry. Smiles are among the first features anyone, including a job interviewer, notices about you. Within the first 30 seconds, a prospective employer may make a first impression based on your smile regarding your openness, friendliness, honesty, intelligence, and social status. The easiest and fastest way to improve your smile, assuming it is healthy already, is through tooth whitening.

According to the American Dental Association, the number of people bleaching their teeth has increased more than 300 percent in the last four years. Generally, you can have whiten your teeth using one of three methods: in-office bleaching, at-home bleaching, or whitening toothpaste. In-office bleaching has the most dramatic results with your teeth becoming up to eight shades whiter in about an hour.

To put your best foot forward in a job interview, make sure your smile measures up. Consider a variety of cosmetic dental procedures, from teeth whitening to a set of porcelain veneers.