There are many reasons why a smile might be considered unattractive, including crooked teeth, discolored teeth, even missing teeth.
Studies have shown that having a more attractive smile can improve your romantic and professional success. We can’t quantify the value of romantic success, per se (though we can note the health benefits of being happily married), but when it comes to your professional life, we can see the impact.
How an Unattractive Smile Impacts the Job Search
In simulated interviews, people with whiter teeth were 58% more likely to be hired, and 54% more likely to be offered a higher salary. If we consider that the average cost of a job search is about $300, we might estimate that the cost of metal amalgam fillings related to a failed job interview is about $173. And with an average new hire salary of about $45,000 a year at the low end, every week you stay unemployed because of an unattractive smile amounts to a cost of $865. If we assume a person with an unattractive smile ends up being unemployed for 58% longer than someone with an attractive smile, about 11 weeks, based on current unemployment periods, the cost is about $9500.
Impact on a Lifetime of Earnings
And even once you’re hired, the costs persist. People with self-rated attractiveness earn 5-10% more than those who are less attractive. Based on this study, we might assume a 4% premium from an attractive smile. Since the mean household income is about $60,000 a year, that’s an annual cost of about $2400. Since the beauty premium follows a person for their entire life, that cost soars to about $84,000 over a lifetime of earning for someone with a bachelor’s degree.
That cost dwarfs the cost of any cosmetic dentistry procedure, from upgrading metal amalgam fillings to a full smile makeover with porcelain veneers.
If you are looking to improve your smile to get a better job and earn more, please call (843) 706-2999 for an appointment with a Hilton Head cosmetic dentist at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry today.
