Over the years, people have always had a concern about their self-image. From the Victorians with their eccentric dresses, suits, and makeup to the modern model with a slim form or a modern bodybuilder with a muscular and toned body. With the invention of the internet, the pressure to look our absolute best has skyrocketed. While Social media has been helping people to meet and bring the world together, it also brings many detriments. Smile Dysmorphia is among that list of detriments and can be rather harmful.
Smile Dysmorphia And The Effects It Has On Dentistry
The primary influence behind smile dysmorphia is selfie-culture, a culture based on taking the best pictures of ourselves and showing others how good we can look. However, this can create a scenario where people create a fictional version of themselves that they believe is their best and then share this fictitious image with others online. Due to the quantifiable number of filters across numerous social media platforms, people have developed a warped and harmful sense of societal expectations for physical appearances.
Smile Dysmorphia is a condition that people have developed regarding their smiles. This condition creates insecurities about their smiles, and this insecurity remains regardless of the health or appearance of one’s teeth. Because of the impossible looks that social media filters can apply to us, many people have developed smile dysmorphia due to these false appearances, leading some to seek cosmetic changes. Here are some of the changes that they might seek.
- Dental Whitening –While highly unnecessary in a medical scenario, Dental Whitening is among the most popular forms of cosmetic adjustments that people will make. While it does help whiten the teeth by a shade or two at most, it can also damage the enamel and may cause one’s teeth to be more sensitive. These adverse effects are more prominent when misused, and due to smile dysmorphia, this misuse is common.
- Gingival Contouring –Typically only used when the gums become too large for someone to brush their teeth effectively, smile dysmorphia can lead a person to believe that they need the contouring when they don’t. The contouring removes the excess gum line to make the teeth more prominent.
- Enamel Contouring –This procedure removes excess enamel from the teeth, mostly used when patients have misshapen, large, overlapping, or crooked teeth. Removing the enamel aids in the straightening of the teeth. However, it can also be harmful if not needed, which leads to a potential loss of teeth and painful sensitivity of those teeth.
Ask Your Dentist For Advice
The best thing a patient can do is trust their dentist’s judgment, especially those who suffer from Smile Dysmorphia. Unrealistic expectations regarding your teeth’ shape, color, or form can lead to issues down the line. Dentists know whether you have healthy teeth, and if they have concerns that you may have Smile Dysmorphia, they can and might recommend mental health counseling should they feel the need is significant enough to help you.