The selfie era has sparked a revolution in cosmetic dentistry, making perfect smiles more sought after than ever before. (Representational image by Mahbub Hasan from Pixabay) 
Dentistry

“Say Cheese": How Selfies are Transforming Our Smiles

Selfies are changing how we see our smiles, leading to a new obsession with cosmetic dental enhancements.

MBT Desk

Do you notice how selfies are everywhere nowadays? With smartphones at our fingertips, a quickly snapped photo is pretty common. But it also means we're taking a much closer look at our smiles than ever before. Instead of giving ourselves a quick glance in the mirror, many of us zoom in to check out every little detail. And this new focus has sparked a big desire to achieve that perfect smile.

Dr. Ahmed Hasan Jibran, a Prosthodontist, gave some interesting insights about the phenomenon on his Instagram. He says that once we take a close look at our smiles in selfies, even the most minor dental problem seems so much bigger. This new consciousness has driven many to seek dental treatments to make their smiles nicer. A fair number of people reportedly feel self-conscious about their teeth due to seeing the close-up photos of themselves.

How Close-Up Photos Distort Our Perception of Ourselves and Our Smile?


Selfies really took a turn for our self-perception in the way we view our smiles.

According to a study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry, about 71% of people feel anxious about their teeth after viewing close-up images.

And nearly 90% of adults wish they could change something about their smile. As we become more aware of how we look, lots of people are diving into various cosmetic dental options.

With the selfie mania, no wonder people want to perfect every flaw they observe. Eventually many patients do consult their dentists for teeth whitening or veneers among other treatments once they point out certain features that they would like to be altered.

Technology Changing Dental Care

According to Dr. Jibran, smartphones have really changed the way we look at ourselves. Usually, the exposure of photographs is full-body ones; mirrors provide a broader view. The close-ups were usually taken when very special photographs had to be sent out, which meant the little flaws went unnoticed.

Now, selfies make even the slightest dental imperfections highly noticeable. Such increased focus on appearance has become a reason for an increased demand for cosmetic enhancements in dentistry, thus giving us a plethora of options to choose from to fix our concerns.

Fun Fact: Ever heard of "Selfie Dysmorphia"? It's a term that describes the anxiety some folks feel when comparing their true appearance to their filtered selfies.

Popular Treatments for a Beautiful Smile

Thanks to developments in dental care, getting that smile you always desired is no big hurdle anymore.

Smile designing is a fascinating and transformative aspect of modern dentistry. It combines art and science to enhance the aesthetics of a patients' smile. Facial structure, tooth alignment, gum health and even personality play a role in making a smile. It conveys a message of friendship and bonding and brightens up everything surrounding us.
Dr. Swati Sharma, Endodontist

Following are a few of the popular treatments people are considering nowadays:

Teeth Whitening: This quick and effective treatment can brighten your smile in just one visit. Nowadays, teeth whitening has become highly in demand.

Teeth Whitening is a quick and effective treatment that can brighten the smile (Representational Image from Unsplash)

Clear Aligners: Most adults find clear aligners aesthetically less noticeable. Studies show that 70% of adults get clear aligners for aesthetic concerns.

Clear Aligners (Image from Unsplash)

Veneers: Thin coverings set over the front of the teeth, they mask gaps or chipped teeth and can last many years provided good care is taken of them.

Veneers are thin coverings set over the front of the teeth. (Image from Unsplash)

Gum Contouring: This dental treatment aims at shaping the gum to make people's smiles symmetrical and, in the process, is often emerging as a cosmetic dentistry option.

Owing to modern technology, most of these can be done much quicker than had previously been possible, with fewer visits required

The Future

As long as selfies are among the favorite means of self-expression, perfect smiles will be in demand. Since social media is taking up a considerable amount of space in our lives, this pressure to have an ideal smile will not disappear anytime soon. Fortunately, there is now more help than ever in capturing one's dream smile!

The next time you digitally zoom in on a selfie and catch something you'd like to see changed about your smile, remember that technology allows us both to capture flaws we may have otherwise missed and provides an opportunity to alter those flaws to achieve the smile of our dreams. The Selfie Smile Revolution is changing the way the world perceives itself-one photo at a time-and cosmetic dentistry is rapidly evolving right along with it.

References

1. America's Cosmetic Dentistry Academy. 2022. State of Cosmetic Dentistry Today. Downloaded from: AACD
2. Scully, C., et al. 2021. How Long Do Porcelain Veneers Really Last? British Dental Journal.
3. Market Research Future. 2021. Global Teeth Whitening Market Research Report. Retrieved from: Market Research Future.

By Dr. Sreelekshmi P

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