30 May

Selfies and the Missing Open Mouth Smile

When you’re lining up the perfect shot of you and your friends with your selfie stick, do you smile wide and say cheese? Or do you just rock a casual, closed mouth grin? If you’re too afraid or embarrassed to show your teeth, a new study indicates that you aren’t alone. This new survey by Oral-B and The Oral Health Foundation found that selfie takers in the United Kingdom are more likely to smile with their mouths closed to hide their teeth rather than a traditional open mouth smile.

Of those who responded to the survey, only 29% responded that they do smile with their teeth when posing for a photo, and one third of those who do not identified discolored teeth as being the biggest reason for reluctance and embarrassment. The other main reason for not showing off their pearly whites? Crooked teeth. The survey showed that 75% did choose to smile, but a majority chose not to smile with their teeth. One more interesting fact? Over half (55%) of adults surveyed admitted to only brushing once a day!

Are you ashamed of your smile? Do you have crooked or discolored teeth? Contact your Gilbert dentist, Lifetime Family Dental to schedule an appointment for teeth whitening or a general checkup! And don’t forget to brush twice a day and floss once daily!

Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (5/30/2016) Pabak Sarkar (Flickr)