As the job market continues to fluctuate and the unemployment rate rises, you likely fall into one of the four following categories that summarize the current state of the American working class:
- You are fresh out of school, whether it is high school, trade school, college or grad school, and you are thrown into the mass of entry-level workers just like you. One job listing is likely to attract hundreds of resumes, so you need to set yourself apart and impress the person who interviews you.
- You’ve just been laid off and now you don’t know what your next move should be. You have the experience and you are good at what you do, but now you’re unsure if you want to pursue a job in the same field or go after a dream of yours that has been left unfilled. Or, you may need to find a new job quickly because your savings account won’t be enough to cover next month’s bills.
- That promotion you have been going after was finally offered to you and you couldn’t be happier. You worked hard for this moment and you want people to know how excited you are. You also want to make sure that you get the respect and appreciation you deserve in your new position so people look at you a little differently.
- Or, maybe you have done everything the way you had always planned: You graduated college, started working as an assistant and have been promoted through the ranks to a junior level or managerial position. But, now you feel like you can go no further up the ladder. You want more challenges, more responsibility and of course, a bigger salary. But you just don’t feel that all of that is achievable in your current state.
There is one more key to success: a perfect smile.
Cosmetic dentist D. Gordon Rye, D.D.S., of Rye Smiles for Life, knows that having a smile you feel good about can drastically improve your self-esteem. And, he also notes that not having a positive self-esteem is a major reason why people don’t go after promotions, don’t put themselves in new environments, or do poorly on job interviews.
All this, he says, can be fixed by visiting your local dentist. When you feel better about your smile then you won’t be thinking about it anymore, and you can just be yourself. Dr. Rye explains that he finds that people who have had a smile makeover do better on job interviews and go after opportunities that they wouldn’t have thought were possible before.
You can take numerous steps to improve your smile, says Dr. Rye. For some people, it may mean getting a porcelain veneer placed over a chipped tooth that has always kept them from smiling when they met someone new. For others, it could mean getting Invisalign — undetectable braces that help align your teeth — so that in six months you will have straighter teeth and then feel confident enough to go after a new promotion.
You don’t have to be a CEO or somebody famous to be able to benefit from these types of procedures either, insists Dr. Rye. Everyone deserves a great smile. Dr. Rye recalled one instance in particular where a patient came in for a consultation with a mustache down to his chin. It was clear that this man was trying to hide his smile, explains Dr. Rye. He really felt that his teeth were holding him back from becoming successful. While the man used the mustache to disguise his poor teeth, Dr. Rye says it was apparent in the way the patient carried himself that he just wasn’t truly satisfied with himelf. So, Dr. Rye put together a specialized dental plan and began correcting the patient’s alignment, placing veneers over chipped or broken teeth and whitening the entire mouth.
Five years later, when the man came back to the office, Dr. Rye says he could hardly believe the transformation the patient had made in his life. Not only was the mustache gone, but he walked into the office with a lot more confidence. And now he is an actor on stage.
Maybe your career move won’t be as far a leap, but a smile makeover is definitely a step in the right direction. You should live life to its fullest, urges Dr. Rye, and you should look and feel confident while you do it.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
