photos by Thomas Wong (Hongkong)

We all know we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but books with attractive covers always do better than books which don't look attractive. It's a real world out there and regardless of how shallow or politically incorrect you think it may seem, good looks do increase your chances of success in many areas from business to dating. For those who want proof, here it is.

In a study by J.E. Singer, female students perceived by their faculties as attractive receive substantially higher grades points than male students or unattractive females. In another study by Mills and Arouson, attractive females were found to be able to change the attitudes of male subjects more effectively than unattractive females. Brislin and Lewis also tested 58 unacquainted in a social setting. After a first date, 89% of the subjects wanted a second date with someone in the group decided to do so because of attractiveness of the partner.

So what about dental aesthetics? A recent study commissioned by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) found that 99.7% of respondents believe that a smile is an important social asset. 96% of adults believe that an attractive smile makes a person more appealing to the opposite sex and an amazing 74% of working adults feel that an unattractive smile can hurt a person's chances of success in his/her career.

As a dentist with a special interest in cosmetic treatment, I know for a fact that the percentages aren't as high in Singapore. Why? Maybe it's because we don't smile so much and are not as "social" as our American cousins. Even though cosmetic dentistry costs a lot less and is widely available in Singapore, our priorities are quite different. Many Singaporeans and sadly, that includes some of my medical colleagues, think that it's a waste of time and money to see a dentist when there's "nothing wrong".

Sure, there are more people doing tooth whitening and complaining about dark gum lines around their old crowns nowadays, but for the majority of Singaporean heartlanders, dentistry is still a terribly unsophisticated game of extractions and dentures. Most people don't even want to know more about how they can improve their smiles. All this is fine if you work in a call centre and have no social life. But what if you need to work overseas. What if you end up in a foreign land where 74% of the people think that a bad smile can affect your chances of success in your career? And that place could be Shanghai or Beijing. Time to catch up, folks.

Beijing 2008 Olympic Aquatic Center