Dental News - Survey highlights impact of video calls on smile self-consciousness

Brendan Day, Dental Tribune International

Thu. 8. July 2021

save

LONDON, UK: Though video calls have become a part of everyday work for many professionals during the pandemic, their increased integration has had some unintended consequences. A new survey jointly conducted by the Oral Health Foundation (OHF) and Align Technology has found that more than half (58%) of British adults have changed how they see their own smile as a result of these videoconferencing technologies.

The survey of 2,009 people reported that 33% were more aware of the colour of their own teeth, whereas 24% were more aware of the alignment of their teeth. Overall, 11% of respondents said that they felt self-conscious about seeing their own smile during an online video meeting.

“Physical interactions have been limited over the last 12 months, and for many, have been replaced with gatherings online,” noted Dr Nigel Carter, OBE, chief executive of the OHF, in a press release.

“This technology has been an invaluable tool, whether it be facilitating business meetings or allowing grandparents to see their newborn grandchildren for the first time. It has also led to us seeing our own face, and smile, far more than we are used to,” he added.

“The colour and shape of our teeth are the first things we tend to notice and feeling self-conscious is quite normal. What we must remember, however, is that the most important part of the smile is its health,” Carter concluded.

The survey also reinforced the notion that mandatory mask wearing, although effective in reducing the spread of SARS-CoV-2, has had a deleterious effect on the ability of individuals to form new relationships and friendships, with 58% of respondents stating this was the case for them.

Demand for orthodontics booms during pandemic

A survey conducted by the British Orthodontic Society earlier this year found that 84% of orthodontists had experienced an increase in adult patients during the pandemic. This somewhat surprising figure was, at least partially, a result of the “Zoom effect”, and 55% reported that rising patient expectations and social factors had helped to fuel the increased demand.

The increase in the popularity of orthodontics is backed up by Align Technology’s own sales figures for 2020, a year in which the company sold a record 1.6 million cases of clear aligners and earned US$2.1 billion (£1.5 billion) in revenue.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

Medicaid survey highlights its positive impact on society

MICHIGAN, U.S.: The role Medicaid plays in the broader community is a topic that evokes a lot of emotion across a wide range of fields. With five states set...

Survey reveals impact of healthy teeth on well-being

BLOOMFIELD, Conn., U.S: Cigna, a worldwide health services organization, has recently released a study that helps confirm the connection between oral health...

Semmelweis University highlights severe environmental impact of dentistry

BUDAPEST, Hungary: Research shows that healthcare systems contribute 4.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and dentistry plays a significant role in this...

ESCI calls for participation in scientific survey on ceramic implants

KILCHBERG, Switzerland: Ceramic implants are increasingly being used in modern dental implantology as a complement to the treatment spectrum with titanium ...

New study highlights the environmental impacts of patient sedation

LEEDS, England: Dentistry is a significant contributor to carbon emissions, and in the UK, dental services provided through the National Health Service ...

Electronic cigarette study details impact on neural stem cells

RIVERSIDE, Calif., U.S.: In the next few years, dentists may start to see the effects of electronic cigarettes (ECs) in more detail. Promoted as a safer ...

FDI survey highlights low level of oral care access for refugees

SAN FRANCISCO, U.S.: According to recent estimates from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are more than 70 million forcibly displaced...

Study reveals impact of dry mouth on quality of life

LONDON, UK: Though the exact number of people who suffer from xerostomia is unclear, some studies estimate that as many as one in five of the population ...

Interview: Prof. Barry Sessle on the impact of neuroscience on dentistry

Just as our scientific and clinical understanding of dentistry has undergone seismic shifts over the past few decades, so too has the field of neuroscience....

Survey highlights inadequate supply of PPE to front-line workers by hospitals

DAVOS, Switzerland: An international cross-sectional survey has found that most surgeons believed that the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) to ...

Education

Live webinar
Thu. 22 May 2025
8:00 pm EST (New York)