Hello Interloper!
Menu
Tim Bradstock-Smith, Clinical Director and Cosmetic Dentist at the London Smile Clinic has recorded a dramatic increase in the number of people with complaints specific to selfies.
He says; “The problem with a selfie is that the picture is taken quite closely, so the image can be distorted. Teeth often look more protruding than they are in real life and appear ‘horse-like’, which can also be emphasised by the unflattering light of the flash.
As teeth are at the centre of the image, people are increasingly, and understandingly, driven to make them look nicer. Whilst these photos will undeniably exaggerate defects, they can also be misleading. We have seen a 30% rise over 5 years in the number of patients sending in selfies through the website with concerns about the look of their front teeth, yet when the patients come in person, often the teeth don’t look too bad at all.
We dissuade approximately 2-3 patients now each week from treatment and for many others will recommend simple alignment of front teeth with clear aligners instead of major intervention work– and we now even offer tips on taking better photos!”
To take the best selfie, it is suggested that you either use a selfie stick to achieve that extra distance or extend your arm as far as possible but use judicious zooming on the screen. However, for those with problems that cannot be filtered away, Tim has tailored treatments to help achieve the new ‘selfie smile’ aesthetic.