It's time to ditch the summer diet plan and invest in a smile plan, according to new research. 

Health on Female First

Health on Female First

The study found that it's not wobbly body parts that are worrying a quarter of the nation's confidence, but their crooked smiles.  

SUMMER ROMANCE

And if it’s romance you’re looking for this summer a cracking smile could be the secret to success, as research, by dental aligner brand Invisalign, discovered that when it comes to attraction three quarters of Brits rated a person’s smile as important when first considering going on a date with them.

Crooked teeth would put 26% of people off dating someone, a much bigger turnoff than wrinkles and 50% of people surveyed believe that straight teeth reflect how much pride you take in your overall personal hygiene.

GETTING AHEAD AT WORK

Lack of confidence in our smiles could also be holding us back in our career, with 90% of Brits rating a sense of humour important to making a human connection with colleagues – and its men that feel most comfortable instigating humour in the workplace, whereas women tend to feel more comfortable using humorous ice breakers in their social lives.

Funny girl Lucy Porter says: “As a comedienne, I’ve noticed that just by having the confidence to crack a joke or smile, you can actually build a relationship with someone, whatever the situation. The trick is to not be afraid of making a fool of yourself! The ability to laugh at yourself let’s your colleagues or date know that you are just as human and fallible as they are.”

The survey also discovered that people with straight teeth and a great smile are seen as more successful, wealthier and more likely to get a job than those with crooked teeth and a bad smile - suggesting perception is everything!

SMILE AND THE WORLD SMILES WITH YOU

And as a nation who spends three quarters of the year living under grey skies, it’s not surprising that almost half of us are convinced we smile for less than one hour a day, even though a whopping 75% of us wish we smiled two hours or more, with a dreamy 22% wishing they could smile all day long! And if you really want to make Britain smile again, a compliment or a beaming smile should do the trick – both topped as the key drivers behind making us grin.

Behavioural psychologist Judi James says: “The great thing about people having the confidence to smile is the natural impulse in the receiving person to return the smile. This instantaneous reaction often triggers a dramatic effect on our own mood, creating a sense of well-being. The outward performance of happiness and well-being produces a similar effect on our subconscious - by echoing a smile, it can give us a boost in confidence and cheer us up.”

But watch out for the phoneys as 59% of us still feel the pressure to ‘fake it’ – on average 2-5 times a day – and are most likely to do it when meeting a stranger or when the boss is around. 


by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
find me on and follow me on