You can’t take back a first impression and your teeth play a big role in that. They can tell a lot about your health conditions, your social status, your age, and overall hygiene habits. In a way, your teeth are similar to your business card. Just like handing your card to a future client, your smile is given to that same client- and with it, your “dental identity.”
Your personal habits such as teeth grinding can communicate that you’re an anxious person, or stressed out, or have an aggressive and competitive personality. Similarly, habits triggered by stress like alcohol consumption, smoking or alcohol exponentially increase teeth grinding.
Eating foods that contain a lot of sugar and regularly drinking coffee, wine, soda and tea can prevent you from having white teeth, which affects perceptions about your overall success in life, your employability, and your attractiveness. A study done by Oral-B found that having whiter teeth increases the perception of these things by 20%.
Yellowing teeth can be prevented to a certain extent by staying away from these main offenders:
1. Red & white wine
2. Black tea
3. Sodas and other carbonated beverages
4. Sports drinks (are highly acid which soften a tooth’s enamel)
5. Berries. Blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, cherries, grapes, and pomegranates
6. Sauces. Soy sauce, tomato sauce, curry sauce, and deeply colored sauces
7. Sweets. Hard candies, chewing gum, popsicles, and other sweets.
As superficial as this study sounds, perception is reality in many cases. Having whiter, straight teeth can lead to higher rates of employment and an easier time meeting new people. Secondly, when it comes to your teeth, the old saying “prevention is better than the cure” couldn’t be truer. The more care for your teeth now, the less you will have to pay for a great smile in the future.
We are currently offering a $99 new patient special and also free whitening for life! To learn more, contact us today!