Going straight

More and more men are considering the importance of their appearance – particularly to further their careers.  Two such men are dentist Hanel Nathwani and his patient, Andy Friedlander who is a TV presenter and a commentator at major sporting events. Both are undergoing treatment to straighten their teeth because it is important for their jobs. Hanel Nathwani spends all day correcting the smiles of his patients – many of whom are celebrities – and felt it was time to attend to his own dentition as it was under constant scrutiny. How could a dentist recommend fixing his patient’s teeth when his own were irregular?  Like Hanel, Andy Friedlander’s smile is perpetually on display on television and in the press and his motivation for correcting his teeth was definitely a career move.  In fact, in an increasingly competitive careers market, the first impression made at any business meeting can be make or break.

Yet it is not just to further their business prospects that men are looking for ways to improve their appearance. The results of a recent survey revealed The UK’s ‘ideal’ male smile is a composite of Robert Pattison’s lips, David Beckham’s teeth and Orlando Bloom’s chin. However, striving for the male ideal is troubling many men and another study showed that dissatisfaction with their facial appearance prevents 76 per cent of men from having their photograph taken and 27 per cent from going on a date.