Fifty-percent of Americans surveyed by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry were not satisfied with their smiles.

So, the majority of Americans want to change their weight and their smiles. Will one goal have more impact than the other? What if you only have fifteen pounds to lose, but your teeth have shortened from wear and tear, are yellowed and crooked? Maybe you’ve got dark mercury fillings that detract from your smile.

Here’s what your fellow Americans say about the importance of your smile:
99.7% believe a smile is an important social asset;
96% of adults believe an attractive smile makes a person more engaging to members of the opposite sex.
74% believe an unattractive smile can lessen a person’s chance for career success. Ouch!

Will fifteen extra pounds lesson your chance for career success? I personally don’t think so. But apparently, if your smile isn’t appealing, it’s affecting how others view you professionally.

Even in Great Britain, a region renowned for crowded smiles, an attractive smile has come of age. More than 2,000 people in that region were surveyed on the subject of attractiveness and teeth. The survey found that nearly 20% of people are so concerned about the state of their teeth that they refuse to smile when photographed.The study also showed that women in their late forties and early fifties are the most inclined to have cosmetic dentistry. I have male and female patients in my practice over seventy getting cosmetic makeovers.

The same study also revealed that those seeking a new smile would prefer the more natural look of celebrities such as George Clooney to the dazzling white “Hollywood” grins of the likes of Simon Cowell. As one doctor described it, “People want a nice, healthy smile that looks natural. They don’t want people to say, ‘Where did you get that done?’”