The old American stereotype of ‘poor British dental health’, notably discoloured or crooked teeth, still exists. To 80% of people, the UK is renowned for bad teeth. However, 75% of us also believe that a great smile is massively important. When it comes to the Hollywood pearly white paragons of straightness, whiter than white is the order of the day. However, British teeth could be described as having, perhaps a little more character. Americans have the idea that uniformity is equivalent to looking good whereas our British character reflects a more free-spirited, more radical view. A functional view of teeth and dentistry, opposed to an American philosophy of the aesthetic nature of teeth, which has given rise to the artificial smile we see splashed across show business and the media.a

Undoubtedly, wonky, gappy, sallow teeth can be perfectly healthy but when it comes down to it, it is not just the aesthetics of teeth that are important. I believe that the ability to reflect your confidence and pride through a gorgeous smile is essential. How you portray yourself and reflect your inner confidence can be affected by an uneven smile. Maybe, as a nation we are less preoccupied with our appearance and some do consider a crooked tooth as part of our character. However, you may be one of those whose wonky teeth do stop you living your life to the fullest. It is all very well, being told that it does not matter, but to me, it really does. Whether someone has good teeth or bad teeth, we all notice.  That is why having nice straight teeth is so important; people with beautiful smiles are perceived as more beautiful than people with unattractive smiles because it is the smile that contributes to their overall attractiveness.

There really are additional benefits to improving the way you smile. You can feel better about yourself and not physically but mentally, too. People who smile are happier and healthier. As a thought, any of you out there who feel a little self-conscious about your smile probably find that there are other areas that you are conscious of, and this could well be holding you back from achieving all that you could. The smile is the most attractive expression of human nature; it shows, physically, our inner self. People enjoy being smiled at, it brightens their day and who knows what else.