Investing £4,000 in My Smile: The Impact of Smiling vs Botox

“Wow, your teeth look amazing!” exclaimed a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. I smiled wider, proud of my enhanced pearly whites.

My journey to a perfect smile came at a hefty price of around four thousand pounds. This fact made me chuckle when I discovered that a simple smile is often viewed as a cost-effective alternative to Botox for enhancing attractiveness.

A recent study revealed that individuals who received Botox or dermal fillers were rated only 0.07 points higher on a seven-point scale of attractiveness. In contrast, smiling boosts attractiveness by 0.4 points, making it nearly six times more effective than Botox.

Having undergone Botox treatments myself, I can confirm that my smile investment has been much more significant. In Yorkshire, where I reside, Botox treatments for three areas typically cost about £200 each, and you can only repeat these treatments every three months, culminating in a maximum yearly expenditure of around £800. On the other hand, my dental work set me back about £300 per month for a year, along with an initial deposit of £400, totaling roughly £4,000.

However, it’s been worth every penny. As a child, I underwent extensive orthodontic work, which included tooth extractions and traditional braces to correct my prominent smile caused by teeth deemed too large for my mouth by my orthodontist.

To address this, four teeth were extracted, and I endured a painful array of metal devices, notably the cumbersome headgear, which resembled a strappy canvas bonnet combined with ominous metal fittings attached to my mouth.

This device was not only unattractive but also particularly embarrassing to wear at bedtime in boarding school. The discomfort often led me to remove it while sleeping. Consequently, I learned to smile with closed lips, displaying an embarrassed grin.

My braces were eventually removed around the age of 16, and I noticed a significant improvement in my confidence and attractiveness, which allowed me to smile freely again. I enjoyed several years of smiling brightly in photos, laughing heartily, and even married, beaming in photos on my wedding day.

However, about ten years later, I noticed my teeth starting to shift, with my canines becoming crooked and my bottom teeth crowding together, making eating increasingly uncomfortable as food would get stuck between my uneven teeth.

Once again, I found myself reluctant to smile broadly. Regular jaw pain became a nuisance, and after seeing a selfie of myself looking less than flattering, I began contemplating braces again, though Botox lingered as a secondary option.

Seeing many friends, also in their forties, opting for Invisalign to straighten their teeth inspired me to seek the same, but one dentist advised against it due to my dental implant, and then the costs of our new house took precedence.

After relocating north a couple of years ago, I revisited the idea of braces. Initially quoted £5,000 by one dentist, I later sought a consult with an actual orthodontist who provided a much more reasonable estimate.

He straightforwardly advised me to opt for traditional braces over Invisalign, which would sort my teeth out more quickly and affordably. I knew I wouldn’t reliably clean the Invisalign retainers or wear them consistently. Thus, I ended up back with braces.

Now, two months after having my braces removed, I am delighted with the results. My jaw pain has subsided, and while I declined to spend more for cosmetic bonding to fill minor gaps in my newly straightened teeth, I acknowledge I may eventually have to replace my current retainers, which carry their own costs.

In conclusion, achieving a beautiful smile doesn’t come cheaply unless one is genetically fortunate regarding dental aesthetics. Does this investment enhance my attractiveness? That’s a question best posed to my husband. Is it a better choice than Botox? Absolutely.