How much can a great smile affect your life? Quite a lot apparently?
Health on Female First
To celebrate National Smile Month, which began on May 20, research from Align Technology reveals that people with a nice smile are seen as more successful, wealthier and more likely to get a job than those with crooked teeth and a bad smile.
They're also seen as more popular, more social, healthier and happier.
Research by Align Technology, the makers of Invisalign clear aligners, suggests that appearance is more important in an interview than having knowledge of the role or even oozing confidence and personality! Nearly a half of people surveyed felt that not having a perfect smile would knock their confidence in the workplace, to the extent that a fifth are willing to give up their annual holiday in favour of great teeth.
32 per cent of people admitted that they would improve their appearance if they learned of a promotion possibility, while 25 per cent feel held back in the workplace by their appearance.
Judi James, one of the UK’s leading body language experts, comments, “The research shows that how we feel about our smile is one of the most important factors in how confident we feel in life. Nearly half of people surveyed (45%) felt that not having a perfect smile would knock their confidence in the workplace, to the extent that a fifth are willing to give up their annual holiday in favour of great teeth.
"When you smile it can boost your confidence, and everybody likes spending more time with people who appear confident in their skin as this makes us feel more comfortable – so smiling not only makes us feel better but also affects our interactions with the people around us, which can make all the difference when it comes to securing that dream job.”
As for success in love, 65 per cent of women surveyed revealed that they would prefer to date men with straight teeth, rating perfect pearly whites more important than skin and hair. 57 per cent of male and females believe that a person’s smile is the most important factor when considering whether to go on a date. More surprisingly crooked teeth are seen as a bigger turn off than wrinkles. The other biggest offenders were bad breath, greasy hair, being overweight and smelly feet.
When it comes to election winning smiles, could Conservative politicians’ smiles be at the heart of their recent election upset? The research shows Labour and Lib Dems have more trustworthy smiles than their Conservative counterparts. ‘Red Ken’ Livingstone was seen to have the most trustworthy smile, followed by Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and David Miliband. Conservatives David Cameron and Boris Johnson were left trailing in the smile vote.