“You never know the power of a smile until you cannot smile.” They are not the words of some wise happiness guru but my former college mate, Anne*. She told me this recently when I inquired why she seemed to smile like all the time. It appeared she wanted the whole world to notice her contagious smile.
You see, Anne had not been a smiling machine those college days. She was a happy girl, but he never smiled, at least not in public. When she did, she either turned her face to the wall or discreetly over her mouth. It is sort of became her trademark. I remember an incident when someone joked about styles of smiling. From that time onwards, she became more withdrawn and even shyer.
So you can imagine my surprise when I met Anne during a conference, chatting and smiling like a hyper sanguine. She looked happier, confident, and a little more attractive than I remember. She even had a spring in her gait. I had to find out what changed so much.
A History of Low Self-Esteem
During our lunch break, Anne shared with me her life of low self-esteem. She had grown up with misaligned teeth. Again, they were discoloured because the water they used in her hometown had high fluorine content. Her unattractive dental alignment and colour made her life very miserable. She always felt that people were staring at her mouth and considered her less intelligent and unhygienic.
Dental Makeover
After college, she found a friend who introduced her to the idea of a dental makeover. The friend referred her to a cosmetic dentist at Pure Dentistry. Initially, all she wanted were white teeth. She though realignment would be painful and costly.
During her first appointment, she realised that she could get both if she were willing to invest into it. Well, what is valuable than smiling without worrying about what others think?” she poses to ask. Therefore, she paid for the makeover and had her teeth bleached to remove stains. She no longer wears braces.
Today, Anne is the leader of the product development team in her firm, happily married with two kids. She says that the ability to smile freely is the best thing that ever happened in her life.
I shared this story because I know there are many women, and men, who cannot enjoy life because of their dental flaws. They can find help, thanks to cosmetic dentistry. Like Anne, we all can afford to share free smiles with the world.
Anne*: Not her real name.
