Smiling is Priceless!

How Much is Your Smile Worth?

 

People often complain about the cost of dentistry.  Behind fear and anxiety, the cost of dentistry is cited as another reason people don’t visit their dentist . However, I would argue that people cannot afford not to go to the dentist. 

I have found that very few people truly understand the economic value of their smile.  A great majority of people do not realize that investing in their smiles will actually earn them more money.  Celebrities understand the value of their smiles.  In fact, veneers, a popular cosmetic treatment for teeth, were developed for Hollywood smiles. In a society where youth and beauty are highly valued, a smile makeover can be a minimal monetary investment with huge payoff. 

Many people say that smiling is the number one thing they first notice about a person.  When we take a photograph we tell our subjects to say “cheese” to encourage them to smile for the picture.  “Service with a smile” is a common term within the customer service industry and has become the standard of customer service interactions.

Babies overwhelmingly choose smiling faces to gaze at over any other face.  We tend to ascribe favorable personality characteristics to people with smiling faces.  We tend to view people who smile as helpful, friendly, pretty, jovial and more likeable! People who smile more get better jobs, make more money, and have a better selection of potential mates.  Smiling people are also more able to get others to adopt their goals and have more influence.  People that work in sales know that their smiles are priceless. 

All of these positive consequences directly result into money in their pockets.  In fact, one study found that servers who smile more frequently at their patrons receive double the amount of tips than their non-smiling counterparts.  A study on online dating revealed that people who have a genuine, beautiful smile are more likely to receive more attention, regardless of hair color, eye color, skin color, weight, height or clothing. 

Smiling is the one facial expression that is universally understood.  In short, smiling overcomes every racial, ethnic and gender difference.  Given all of the benefits of a confident, beautiful smile I would reasonably argue that smiling is priceless! Not only can a beautiful, confident smile increase your income and job security, it can have positive social consequences, but that’s another blog! Stay tuned!