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Word of mouth
What your teeth say about you is more than you might think
by Dr. Bill Dorfman
People talk. What we say is what makes us who we are. People
also see. When we speak, others watch our facial expression and body language
and read these signals for what they communicate beyond words. Intensity,
passion and truthfulness are often communicated by how we speak rather than
by what
we say. They see what we are saying…and they also see what our teeth
are saying about us and about our own image of ourselves.
Okay, so I’m a dentist and perhaps slightly obsessed with teeth, but
if you don’t think that appearance matters, you’re only kidding
yourself. There’s nothing superficial about having a healthy, beautiful
smile. And by “healthy” and “beautiful,” I’m
not saying “perfect.”
Just think about what it’s like to speak to someone with badly stained
teeth. It’s hard to look them in the eye because you’re trying
not to look at their teeth. You may not have thought about it like this,
but unhealthy teeth get in the way of effective communication.
Something else I’d like you to consider is that unhealthy teeth are very
predictable indicators of bad breath—and, believe me, if you don’t
think bad breath inhibits communication, then you’re kidding yourself.
I know. I work all day long in the frontlines of bad breath and I can’t
tell you how many times I’ve suggested a good mouthwash to my patients.
When your teeth are healthy and clean and your breath is fresh, it tells
others that you care about yourself and suggests that you’re capable
of caring about them. You may not have thought about it like this, but a
healthy smile
and fresh breath are both very important in all your relationships - from
your family to your colleagues to those you come into contact with briefly
over
the course of a day.
One of my patients is a forty-ish, attractive, professional woman who lived
much of her life ashamed of her teeth. She had tetracycline staining since
childhood, and was still very sensitive about it. Whenever someone she was
speaking with winced, she would think it was because of her teeth. She told
me that she sometimes hesitated to smile because she didn’t want to “spoil” the
moment. That’s painful to hear…but also easy to change. There are
so many options available today, from bleaching to veneers, that it simply
doesn’t make sense to “just live with it.”
This patient now has a wonderful and healthy smile. Though we only see her
twice-a-year in the office, our staff has noticed the change in her manner.
She expresses her appreciation with every smile and I’m sure that everyone
she knows has seen the difference as well. It’s not just that she looks
better, which she does, but that she feels better…about herself and
those around her.
Having a beautiful, healthy smile just feels good and it tells others that
you feel good about yourself and your relationship with them. What you
say matters, but you shouldn’t forget that your smile speaks volumes.
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