Perhaps you’re single and tired of it. Maybe you’re newly divorced and ready to play the field again. You might be dating online or trying out a meet-up app. Wherever you stand when it comes to romantic relationships, if you aren’t having any success, it’s time to look at yourself and figure out what might be getting in the way. A Match.com survey found that men and women alike rate teeth as the number one characteristic when judging a potential date. Is your smile helping or hurting your chances at finding love?
People are hard on themselves, especially when you’re feeling really let-down about bad dates and still not meeting “the one.” You may blame your weight, age, job, hair, or location, but it’s actually your teeth that could be putting a wrench in your plans for happily ever after, and here’s why:
- Your dating profile pictures look weird. You have the opportunity to post one or more photos of yourself when you’re dating online, but are you smiling broadly in any of them? Do you have a straight, serious face every time? Is your mouth always closed? The last thing you want is for potential matches to think that you’re already hiding something because your smile is stained or crooked.
- Your dating profile pictures lie. Worse than not showing your smile in your dating profile photos is posting pictures that have been edited to make you look better. Sure, photo filters and photo apps are meant to enhance pictures, but you’re not exactly getting a relationship off on the right foot by fibbing about your real appearance.
- Your confidence is less than 100 percent. Embarrassed to even think of a first date with someone because you’re ashamed of your smile? You might be afraid of what will happen to your teeth at dinner, what you would do if they went in for a kiss, and what they might see if you forget yourself for a moment and smile broadly or laugh with your mouth wide open. If you’re self-conscious about your broken-down smile, you’ll have a hard time concentrating on the date you’re on or whether you even enjoy the company of the person you’re with.
- Your breath stinks. The kiss of death for any love match is a kiss that doesn’t happen because your breath is less than appealing. This is about more than eating the chicken parm at dinner and walking away with garlic breath. If your teeth are in such poor condition that you have constant bad breath, this isn’t a problem that’s going to go away without dental intervention.
- You don’t look successful. Perhaps you claim to be a success in your career in your dating profile, but once you meet your date in person, your teeth scream otherwise. Stains, misalignment, chips, cracks, and missing teeth are not flattering. It’s a straight, white, natural-looking smile that makes you look smart and affluent.
- You make a bad first impression. One of the first things two people should do when they meet is smile at each other. You might be acting warmly and expressing positive statements, but if your smile doesn’t meet your eyes, your first impression will be tainted by your lack of enthusiasm, and your date will start questioning you, your interest in them, and your connection with each other.
- You don’t have much to say. When you’re ashamed of what your teeth look like, you’re less likely to open your mouth all that often to express your opinion. And when you aren’t asking questions of your date or responding much to what they say, they’ll think you’re uninterested in what they have to say or who they are as a person.
- You look older than you are. A broken-down smile can age you. Stained and broken teeth don’t always match up with who you really are as a person. And if you’re missing teeth your face shape may be compromising for the gaps in your smile, sinking in on itself and not properly supporting your lips.
- You don’t look friendly. Refusing to smile because you’re ashamed of your teeth is one way to hide the flaws in your smile, but it isn’t going to help you land a match. How many opportunities at love have you missed because you frown or keep a straight face instead of flashing a grin that reveals your true feelings?
Cosmetic dentistry and restorative dentistry can transform your smile. Teeth whitening can give you a new smile in one visit to the dentist office. And porcelain veneers can correct a host of imperfections – stains, misalignment, breaks, cracks, chips, short teeth, and more. From dental implants to porcelain crowns, tooth-colored fillings to preventive care, there is a smile makeover solution that will perfect your smile, so you’ll be in perfect shape to find love. Make an appointment with Dr. Sindu Gundabathula in Doylestown to discuss your smile makeover options.
