Workplace anxiety is a common occurrence for professionals across industries. Often the cause of this stress and anxiety is related to inexperience, being overworked, understaffed, having an overbearing boss, or pressure from a deadline. But one thing that should never be a cause for workplace anxiety is the appearance of ones teeth.
The state of a person’s smile actually has a huge impact on their self esteem. Their self esteem, in turn, has a very pronounced effect on their confidence, workplace performance and interaction with colleagues and superiors. As a result, a person with a crooked, discolored, or gapped smile can be a lot more self-conscious than a fellow co-worker with a healthy and happy smile.
Though it isn’t the smile alone that holds a person back or catapults them forward, the former, due to lower self esteem and a fear of being judged for an imperfect smile, will likely be more reserved during meetings and presentations, whereas the latter is more outgoing and willing to put themselves in the spotlight and leadership positions, which will lead them to receive accolades, raises, and promotions.
It may not seem fair to judge a person on the appearance of their teeth alone, but a number of studies have confirmed that a healthy looking attractive smile makes a person appear to be more likable, conscientious, and stable. This finding also reveals that a person with crooked, discolored, and unhealthy teeth and bad oral hygiene is not held to the same standards as their co-workers, regardless of their credentials and performance.
Surveys of key workplace decision-makers have revealed that almost half of business owners and upper level management (48% to be exact) believe that poor dental hygiene and dental health negatively influence their decision to work and do business with someone, and 44% of them believe it would influence their decision to promote an individual working for them, despite that employee’s proven abilities and credentials.
Luckily there is hope for those individuals whose smile may be holding them back from being truly confident in themselves and their abilities in order to reach their full workplace potential. Cosmetic dentistry is the right solution for this problem with a variety of options to correct dental issues, including professional teeth whitening, Invisalign, veneers, dental bonding, gum contouring, and dental implants.
As an added benefit, improving the appearance of your smile to increase your self esteem and confidence with cosmetic dentistry, will not only impact they way people treat you, but also the way they perceive you. Studies have found that clean pearly whites make individuals appear younger. If you are ready to improve your teeth, in order to gain a healthier and more confident smile, consider your cosmetic dentistry options today.
