Smile More, Live Better: Your Smile at Work

Smile more, live better: it sounds simple, but a lot of daily life happens at work, and that is where many adults quietly stop smiling. A chipped front tooth feels enormous in a job interview. Stained teeth seem to glow on a video call. A missing tooth makes you think twice before laughing in a meeting. If you have found yourself holding back a smile at work, this post looks at where your smile shows up during the working week, what people notice up close, and the treatments at the Timonium office of Dr. Steven W. Haywood, DDS that fit around a job.

Where your smile shows up at work

Your smile is part of a first impression, and working life is full of first impressions. Think about how often your teeth are on display during an ordinary week:

• Greeting a new client, customer or patient
• Interviews, whether in person or on a screen
• Presentations and meetings where people are looking right at you
• Video calls, where your face fills the frame at close range
• Photos for a staff badge, a company website or a professional profile
• Lunches and social events with colleagues

Hiding your smile behind a hand or closed lips can make you seem shy or even unfriendly, at work and socially, even when you are neither. That is one reason correcting or enhancing your teeth can change how you come across, not just how you look.

Habits that give away a smile you don’t like

Most people who are unhappy with their teeth develop small workarounds without noticing them. You might smile with your lips closed in every photo, cover your mouth when you laugh, turn your camera off on calls, or keep your answers short so you are not talking with your mouth open. These habits are understandable, but they take energy, and they can make you less present in the moments that matter.

If you recognize yourself here, you are not alone. For a practical look at judging your own smile, read how to evaluate your smile objectively.

What people notice in a close conversation

Across a desk or on a screen, a few things stand out more than others. Each has a treatment that can help.

Color and stains

Coffee and tea at your desk add up. In-office laser power whitening activates the whitening agent to dissolve stains, as part of a plan customized to your teeth. If your teeth are very dark, Dr. Haywood explains your options first. See teeth whitening in Timonium.

Chips and uneven edges

A chipped front tooth catches the eye when you speak. Dental bonding repairs chips with tooth-colored composite resin sculpted directly on the tooth and polished to look natural. As one patient put it, “The tooth looks better than before it was chipped!”

Gaps and crooked teeth

Spaces and overlapping teeth can be closed or evened out with bonding, porcelain veneers or prepless veneers, or moved into place with clear aligners. Read options for crooked or gapped teeth.

Dark fillings and older crowns

Silver fillings and mismatched crowns show when you laugh or turn your head. The practice is mercury-free, uses tooth-colored composite fillings, and specializes in all-ceramic, tooth-colored crowns.

A missing tooth

A gap near the front of your smile is often the first thing people try to hide. Dental implants and implant bridges replace missing teeth, and all phases are handled in the same Timonium office. See dental implants.

Breath

Close conversations make people self-conscious about breath as well as teeth. Bad breath can be a sign of gum infection, which is worth an exam. Read about bad breath causes and treatment.

Treatments that fit a working week

One of the most common reasons adults put off improving their smile is time away from work. Many options fit around a job better than people expect.

Done in a single visit

Bonding can be completed in a single visit, and it typically requires no anesthesia. Laser power whitening is done in the office in one appointment, designed to give you your brightest smile in the least amount of time.

Done on your day off

A same-day smile makeover is completed in a single day, so it can be scheduled on your day off without rearranging your work week. Whether you want a brighter smile, a broken tooth fixed or gum treatment, the plan is built around your date.

Done in a few visits

An ultimate smile makeover can be completed in as few as two visits, depending on the treatments involved. Crowns are usually completed in two appointments. With veneers, you evaluate a “test drive” set before your final veneers are made.

Straightening without anyone noticing

Many adults avoid straightening because of how metal braces look at work. Invisalign aligners are clear and barely noticeable, and you take them out to eat, so a lunch meeting is not a problem. If your teeth need only minor movement, Invisalign Express is a thrifty option. Learn about Invisalign in Timonium.

Staying comfortable and presentable during treatment

• Laughing gas and your workday. Laughing gas is complimentary, and you should feel fully alert right after treatment, so you can drive yourself home. Oral conscious sedation stays in your system for several hours and requires a ride, so plan that visit for a day you are not working.
• Temporaries. When a crown is being made, you leave with a temporary crown that protects the tooth until the final one is placed.
• Previews before commitment. Cosmetic imaging lets you see changes to your smile on screen before treatment starts, so there are no surprises when you walk back into the office.

Using your workplace benefits

If your job comes with a health savings account or a flexible spending account, those plans are welcome at the practice. If you use a flex spending account, staging your treatment can help. The practice is out of network with insurance companies: you pay at the time of service, and the office files the claim so your plan can reimburse you for covered care. Many plans limit purely cosmetic work, so check what yours includes. Financing is also available through CareCredit, with no-interest options for up to 12 months, and Cherry, with plans from 3 to 24 months.

Beyond work: a smile you use every day

A smile you are comfortable with does not stay at the office. It shows up in family photos, at dinner with friends and in the small moments when something makes you laugh. Patients of the practice describe that change plainly: “Now I actually get compliments on my teeth and I enjoy smiling more than ever.” For more on the social side of a smile, read a smile is one of your most important social assets.

Frequently asked questions

Will coworkers notice I’m having treatment?

Often not. Invisalign aligners are clear and barely noticeable, bonding is finished in the same visit, and a same-day smile makeover can be done on your day off. What people usually notice is the result.

Can I go back to work after bonding or whitening?

Bonding typically needs no anesthesia, so there is usually no numbness to wait out. If laughing gas is used for any visit, you should feel fully alert afterward. Oral sedation is different and needs a ride home, so plan the rest of that day off.

When is the office open?

The office is open Monday through Friday and closed on weekends. Call (410) 453-9399 to find an appointment that fits your schedule.

Does insurance cover cosmetic treatment?

It depends on your plan and the treatment. Work that repairs a damaged tooth may be viewed differently from purely cosmetic changes. The office files the claim for you so your plan can reimburse you for anything it covers.

Start smiling more at work and beyond

If a concern about your teeth is holding back your smile at work, find out which treatment fits your schedule. Explore every option on the cosmetic dentistry in Timonium page, then request an appointment or call (410) 453-9399. The office of Dr. Steven W. Haywood, DDS is at 108 W Timonium Rd, Ste 200, Timonium, MD 21093, serving Timonium, Towson, Hunt Valley and Baltimore.