“Smile and the whole world smiles with you.” But if you aren’t confident smiling, people can easily pick up on that and use it as a signal of your overall confidence.

If your teeth are misaligned, discolored or otherwise unhealthy, it will be quite difficult to smile confidently.

According to Malcolm Gladwell, a prominent sociologist and author, our place in society is increasingly dependent on how we present ourselves and our smile is front and center during first impressions. As he puts it, “Teeth are becoming the new benchmark of inequality.” People will often see your smile before you even speak, so like it or not, people are making subconscious assumptions about you before they know anything about your education, charm, experience or character.

Cher Lloyd, before and after

According to Mr. Gladwell, people with bad teeth have a lower chance of success because they are ‘denied’ certain ‘entry-level’ jobs. Good dental care is more and more common, so the physical standards are raised and those with less attractive smiles are presumed to come from less privileged backgrounds.

He expands on this saying, “The teeth thing and the obesity problems are the same: they are symptoms of the same set of inferences that are being drawn. I think those kinds of physical characteristics – that’s completely the next wave of discrimination.”

His comments were made while discussing the trend of celebrities and reality TV stars paying to have work done to their teeth.

Celebrities and average joes alike are seeking orthodontists and dentists for braces, Invisalign, teeth whitening, crowns and even dental implants. Tom Cruise’s agent is surely grateful for modern orthodontics. The good news is that this Hollywood standard of care is also available in Shanghai. Read more about our US board-certified orthodontist Dr Kevin Chan or contact us to schedule a consultation.

Tom Cruise, before and after