The whole American vs British teeth thing is damn weird. In the States they place waaay more emphasis on regular, expensive dental work. Having braces etc to straighten your smile out is common while I suspect here in the UK many people don't think its worth it just to straighten a few teeth that work perfectly well wonky. So far as I see it-it all comes down to how (and why) you smile.
Certain 'American smiles' scare me. A lot. Its ultimately the 'American media/beautiful people smile'. In the states you have an emphasis on that 'beauty queen smile'-open your mouth and display as much of your teeth as possible-so of course if they are not shinning white and perfectly straight the smile wont 'work'. British smiles are usually done with the mouth closed and the corners turned up a little.
Now-the psychology of it is interesting. Showing your teeth in the animal world is actually a sign of aggression-its a way of saying 'I can eat you alive-watch out!'. So its actually not a smile at all. American dentistry and beauty pageants are inadvertently doing terrible harm to Americas relationship with the rest of the world by creating a subconscious impression that even the most caring and gentle American is, in fact, a wild beast that wants to eat you.
Ultimately this a 'media smile'-the average person on the street is encouraged to get one, but thankfully doesn't practice it in its full flesh eating glory-they actually still use their eyes (see below) to smile at the same time. If you also get botox though, half the natural movement of your face that you need for a more natural smile gets frozen out and people actually have to be brazen enough to look you in the eye to see if you are really smiling or not.
So-whats a real smile? I was very privileged to have worked for many years teaching art to people with a range of disabilities-some of whom could only communicate with their eyes. And thats where a smile really lives-in the eyes. I like it when people smile with their eyes. Its warm and makes immediate emotional contact. It expresses multiple layers of feeling (from sad smiles to sheer joy).
Now-you smile with your eyes (well, from what I saw on our meeting in London last year). I like that. But the industry you are in is increasingly getting more carnivorous by the looks of things, and if you need to impress some media people a British smile will not go down the same way. Its not a measure of likability or emotional contact-its a measure of plastic 'beauty' and your ability to be top carnivore. Its like the designer suits and swish business cards in the film 'American Psycho'. You don't give them your business card because you think they might like you and want to keep in touch-you give it to them to show yours is better/more expensive and they are therefore trash compared to you.
If you want to be part of the 'beautiful people' that smile is essential (as is learning to hug in as cold and as distant a way as possible with minimal body contact while you look over the persons shoulder and mouth how much you hate them to someone behind them with a knife). People will envy you and do the same smiles and hugs back to you.
If you want to be liked, trusted or admired-stay clear of the plastic beauty temptation, or only take it a little way along -whitening a smile a little but not showing the world how white it is all the time, looking after your skin and body but avoiding more extreme modification. Thats my take on it-for what its worth.
no subject
Certain 'American smiles' scare me. A lot. Its ultimately the 'American media/beautiful people smile'. In the states you have an emphasis on that 'beauty queen smile'-open your mouth and display as much of your teeth as possible-so of course if they are not shinning white and perfectly straight the smile wont 'work'. British smiles are usually done with the mouth closed and the corners turned up a little.
Now-the psychology of it is interesting. Showing your teeth in the animal world is actually a sign of aggression-its a way of saying 'I can eat you alive-watch out!'. So its actually not a smile at all. American dentistry and beauty pageants are inadvertently doing terrible harm to Americas relationship with the rest of the world by creating a subconscious impression that even the most caring and gentle American is, in fact, a wild beast that wants to eat you.
Ultimately this a 'media smile'-the average person on the street is encouraged to get one, but thankfully doesn't practice it in its full flesh eating glory-they actually still use their eyes (see below) to smile at the same time. If you also get botox though, half the natural movement of your face that you need for a more natural smile gets frozen out and people actually have to be brazen enough to look you in the eye to see if you are really smiling or not.
So-whats a real smile? I was very privileged to have worked for many years teaching art to people with a range of disabilities-some of whom could only communicate with their eyes. And thats where a smile really lives-in the eyes. I like it when people smile with their eyes. Its warm and makes immediate emotional contact. It expresses multiple layers of feeling (from sad smiles to sheer joy).
Now-you smile with your eyes (well, from what I saw on our meeting in London last year). I like that. But the industry you are in is increasingly getting more carnivorous by the looks of things, and if you need to impress some media people a British smile will not go down the same way. Its not a measure of likability or emotional contact-its a measure of plastic 'beauty' and your ability to be top carnivore. Its like the designer suits and swish business cards in the film 'American Psycho'. You don't give them your business card because you think they might like you and want to keep in touch-you give it to them to show yours is better/more expensive and they are therefore trash compared to you.
If you want to be part of the 'beautiful people' that smile is essential (as is learning to hug in as cold and as distant a way as possible with minimal body contact while you look over the persons shoulder and mouth how much you hate them to someone behind them with a knife). People will envy you and do the same smiles and hugs back to you.
If you want to be liked, trusted or admired-stay clear of the plastic beauty temptation, or only take it a little way along -whitening a smile a little but not showing the world how white it is all the time, looking after your skin and body but avoiding more extreme modification. Thats my take on it-for what its worth.