Have you ever thought about how your smile affects your professional success? If not, you probably haven’t realized how big the role of a smile is. Good or bad, the lasting impression your smile can leave is an important factor when it comes to accomplishing your career goals. According to several studies, a healthy mouth and a beautiful smile can help you land a job, close a sale, or negotiate a better salary. But what happens if you’re struggling with crooked teeth, misalignment, or other orthodontic issues?
We want to help every Krieger Orthodontics patient realize their full potential. While we think you’re capable of any goal you work towards, we understand that a smile you don’t love can hold you back. We’re here to help you! Our treatment options can help kickstart your career without disrupting your current lifestyle. But first, let’s look at why your smile is so important to start with, and how we can help you create one that helps you leave a lasting impression.
Humans are Copycats
We all mimic facial expressions, often without even realizing it. This can trigger a similar emotional state to the person you’re mimicking. The benefit of this is that we can better understand the person we’re communicating with and respond in a helpful way. That’s why we tend to smile back when someone smiles at us, and why doing so can briefly boost our mood. It turns out smiling spreads quickly!
A great smile can also inform potential employers that you could be a positive influence on the job. A study done at Yale University divided volunteers into small groups and assigned specific tasks to each group. One team member was privately asked to act upbeat and positive. When that person came in smiling, the mood of the whole group improved right away. Researchers also found that each person’s performance improved and the group was more likely to achieve its goal.
A similar study was done at the University of Kansas. Participants in the study were asked to do stressful tasks. Some were told to smile, while others were told to keep a straight face. The scientists conducting the study measured the participant’s heart rates and collected self-reported stress levels from when tasks were being completed. The subjects who were smiling had lower heart rates, and their body’s response to stress was reduced. They also reported feeling more positive overall than those who did not smile. We don’t know about you, but we think this makes the power of an upbeat smile pretty clear. This quality is attractive to both employers and coworkers and can give you a little extra edge in the workplace.
The Halo Effect
The “halo effect” describes a phenomenon in which we attribute many positive qualities to a person if we notice just one. The term was coined by researcher Edward Thorndike. It essentially means that we assume information is true about a person based on our perception of them. It may not be fair, but it does show you just how important those first impressions can be!
An inviting smile is proven to trigger the halo effect. If someone has a beautiful smile when you meet then, you’ll probably start subconsciously assuming that there are a lot of other good things about them. You may think they are smart, successful, and hardworking If you meet, even if you haven’t seen them act out those things specifically. If you’re trying to get your foot in the door at a company you love, you can use your smile to your advantage thanks to the halo effect!
Set the tone with a smile
We all know that receiving a genuine smile can put us at ease. Likewise, when you feel good about your own smile, you often feel a boost of confidence and you’ll be more likely to share that with others. This is good news for job interviews! No matter how impressive your credentials are, employers may be less likely to hire or promote you if they think you’re stiff, unfriendly, or hard to connect with. Successful companies aren’t just looking for qualified candidates, they’re looking for someone who will be a good fit for their team and contribute to a positive work environment.
Take a chance with a straighter smile
It’s tough to get out of your comfort zone and be a risk-taker when you’re self-conscious about your smile or anything else. But to be successful, those are exactly the things you need to do. When you’re happy with your overall appearance, you feel better about yourself, and having a smile you love can be a powerful boost to your confidence. Invisalign recently conducted a survey on the impact of straight teeth and found that nearly 80% of adults who had orthodontic treatment said a straighter smile gave them the confidence to do something they never would have done before.
Trust the success of your smile to the experts at Krieger Orthodontics
Your overall appearance plays a part in how you feel about yourself and how others perceive you. It can also affect your hireability. Orthodontic treatment can help you use that to your advantage by giving you a beautifully aligned smile you’ll want to share with the world. That’s where we come in!
Here at Krieger Orthodontics, we believe that you deserve a healthy smile that makes you feel great about yourself, no matter your age. Many orthodontic issues can be corrected just as easily in adults as children and teens. Straightening your teeth and correcting orthodontic issues will not only improve your oral health, but it can also lead to better moods, greater positivity, and reduced stress levels. If you’re ready to take the first steps toward the success you deserve, get in touch with us today to schedule a FREE consultation!
