The Role That Teeth Whitening Can Play in Your Social Interactions

How important is teeth whitening in a social context? In order to answer this question, you have to understand the impact a smile has on another person, especially when meeting them for the first time. Whiter teeth make for a brighter smile, which means teeth whitening directly influences how you smile. Most people are aware when they are impacted by a friendly smile. It is one of those social norms we adhere to psychologically without consciously realizing we are doing it. In fact, over 53 percent of people notice your smile first and make a first impression judgment based on that alone. Over 89 percent of people believe a great smile, including one that has been professionally whitened, enhances their looks and the looks of others. While this may seem to only be important for vanity's sake, there are also practical reasons to have a great smile, such as being interviewed for a job, trying to talk your way out of an awkward situation, or meeting new friends for the first time. Despite the fact that we subconsciously know that a smile enhanced by teeth whitening is a good thing, 26 percent of people polled stated that they could probably have better teeth if they visited the dentist more often. An amazing 52 percent believed that they would smile more if they had a better-looking smile. The good news is, a professional teeth whitening can start you down that road today.

As procedures go, teeth whitening is one of the simplest and least complicated ways to make your smile better. In fact, the process is so simple, it has grown into a multibillion-dollar private enterprise, with all sorts of do-it-yourself kits available. People who want to get their teeth whitening done have three choices. You can either buy a kit (to do it at home), come in and get a recommendation or prescription from us to do it at home under our supervision, or visit the clinic to have your teeth whitening professionally done in a controlled medical environment. In all three of these cases, we recommend that you first come in and have a complete examination to make sure your teeth are healthy and that you do not have a rare condition that may hinder your ability to whiten your teeth. While that is extremely unlikely, it is best to rule out complications before you begin the teeth whitening process.

The most common reason why people hesitate before doing a teeth whitening is because they have already gotten cosmetic work done on their teeth. If you have had any kind of fabrication placed over the front-facing teeth, you are almost always precluded from effective teeth whitening. Fabrications include things like dental veneers, dental bonding, and dental crowns. These synthetic replacements are not bleachable, so you will need to replace them if you want to make your surrounding teeth a different shade of white. In situations like these, you may want to consider additional veneers or bonding on your other teeth.