We’re living in the Instagram age, so feeling self-conscious about our appearances is becoming more prevalent than ever – teeth and smiles have long held a high place on the beauty charts and finding methods to achieve that stunning smile has become more popular. Veneers in London, whitening, clear braces and bonding are all cosmetic dentistry options that are easily accessible and fast becoming standard within the beauty industry as means to improve our smiles. But how do you know whether you should be changing your looks? Is it the right thing for you?
Questions To Ask Yourself
When thinking about any cosmetic procedure, whether dental or otherwise, there are a series of questions worth asking in order to protect yourself against impulsive or rash choices that could leave you with financial or further image issues.
Why Do You Want To Do This?
This might sound like a really obvious question, but it’s important to ask why; people commonly think they don’t like something and that they need to change it without actually questioning why they don’t like it in the first place. Through social media and film, we are surrounded and bombarded with images of what we “should” look like, and because of this, we can start questioning something about appearance without any real cause. An example of this would be someone with an overlapping front tooth. Society tells us we should have straight teeth because that is what’s desired by the media; however, do you really dislike your overlap? Or is this an opinion that’s been given to you by “them”? Check-in with the why.
What Are Your Desired Outcomes?
Before you head into any cosmetic procedure, you need to clock in with your desires. How many times have you been to the hairdresser asking for a certain cut only to find the desired cut doesn’t suit you? The same can be said for teeth. What looks right for one person won’t always look right for you, so you need to manage your expectations before you go ahead with something such as veneers. Of course, there can be phenomenal results, but if you don’t have a clear look/exception, you could be left feeling disappointed.
Why Are You Doing This Now?
Not to use the hair analogy again, BUT…you know when you go through a breakup, and the first thing you do is cut your hair off? Well, sometimes when we’re going through a hard time, we reach for change to numb or divert from how we’re truly feeling. When you’re opting for a cosmetic procedure, take a moment to stop and realise why you want to do this now. For example, if you’ve just had a bereavement, a job loss or a divorce, you could be self-medicating your emotions by changing your physical appearance. The phrase “I’ll be happy when…” comes to mind. It’s better to give yourself time to check whether this is something you really want than to rush into anything; your dentist will still be there six weeks from now.
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