What’s More Important to You: Your Hair or Your Teeth?

Your appearance matters when it comes to making a positive first impression. When you think about how you look, which is more important to you, your hair or your teeth? While your hair is a very prominent aspect of your appearance, your teeth might be making a bigger impression. When you meet someone new, you most likely shake hands and smile. What does your smile say about you during that first meeting?

Did you know that your teeth are a prominent feature when it comes to how others perceive you? Recent studies have indicated that people make snap judgements about others regarding success, general health, and intelligence based on the appearance of their teeth. A person’s teeth tend to be judged on the following criteria:

• Color – the whiter the better
• Alignment – straight teeth are preferred
• Health – people prefer a healthy looking mouth

If your teeth are lacking in any of the above areas, people may be misjudging you. But a visit to a dentist could correct any or all of these issues.

You may have heard of Invisalign, a teeth straightening system that’s virtually invisible. Clear Correct is a similar system that straightens your teeth as an alternative to traditional braces. Clear plastic trays, similar to a retainer, are designed to fit your teeth and shift them into proper alignment.

Clear Correct can be administered by your dentist, rather than an orthodontist, saving you time and money. And afterwards you can smile confidently.

Over time, teeth tend to discolor and turn yellow, especially if you enjoy coffee, tea, or soda. Have you tried whitening toothpaste with little or no results? Do stronger formulas like whitening strips cause your teeth to become sensitive? Professional whitening systems used by dentists give you better results and won’t bother or cause sensitive teeth. You can have a brighter, whiter smile that will give off a better first impression.

Whether you have a visible issue like missing or broken teeth, or you have a less visible cavity, restorative dental work can correct it. Fillings, caps, root canals, implants, and other corrective measures can restore your smile, relieve pain, and make it easier to eat the foods you love.

These procedures tend to be the least pleasant of all dental work. If you’ve been avoiding having necessary work done because of your fears, sedation dentistry may be a good option for you. You can be mildly sedated or even put to sleep while in-depth procedures are being done.

The cleanliness of your teeth is important for your appearance as well as your breath. Chronic halitosis is most often due to lack of proper dental hygiene. Regular dentist cleanings twice a year are important to keep your teeth clean and healthy, preventing the need for restorative procedures in most cases. Brush your teeth daily or even twice a day to maintain clean teeth between visits.

It’s typically more for women than men, but in recent years even the cost of men’s hair care has gone up. Barbers are charging higher rates for haircuts and stylings, and even hair products are more expensive these days. Women who have their hair dyed will spend a lot of money at the salon and even more on products to maintain the color.

If you’re willing to put time and money into hair care, why wouldn’t you do the same for dental care? Especially when studies have shown that the appearance of your teeth has the single biggest impact on others’ impression of you.

With or without dental insurance, you may have to pay all, or a portion, of the cost of some dental procedures. But when you are willing to invest in your own dental health it pays you back in the form of confidence and well-being. Financing options are available to make dental care more affordable.

Call SmileMakers Comprehensive Dentistry and make an appointment today: 334-277-5498 or request an appointment and someone will contact you for scheduling.