One in four surveyed would choose teeth straightening if they could change just one thing about it.
A recent UK survey has been carried out which has asked men based in the UK questions about confidence in their appearance and the likelihood of them seeking treatments to tackle physical imperfections*. The results showed that those aged 18-24 were most likely to have looked into treatments to change their appearance, despite being one of the most likely age groups to feel it was wrong for men to take steps to change their appearance.
While the majority of those surveyed believed that men are generally more confident than women, a surprising 40% of the men surveyed revealed strong concerns about their appearance, so much so that they had been prevented from considering activities such as dating - with just under half of those who expressed concerns with their appearance admitting to avoiding dates or asking people out.
Issues regarding the appearance of teeth ranked highly as a personal concern. The statistics revealed that just over a quarter of men surveyed admitted that they would straighten their teeth if they could change one thing about their appearance.
The survey showed interesting regional variations:
• Those from the areas of the South West and West Midlands were least likely to consider themselves happy with their appearance (only 57% and 56% respectively saying they were happy).
• Only 2% of those surveyed from Yorkshire and Humber were confident about their teeth
• There were significant regional variations with 47% of those from the East Midlands admitting they had been prevented from doing things, to only 16% of those from Yorkshire and Humber
• Those most likely to be confident about their teeth were from Scotland.
• Those from the North East and London were the cohorts happiest about their appearance (81% and 78% considering themselves happy).
• Those from the North East appeared to be the least confident group with only 38% agreeing that men are more confident, while those from Wales were the most confident, with 86% of men considering themselves to be so.
• Those from London were the group most likely to look for ways to straighten their teeth - with 75% stating that they would do so.
Whilst the survey results showed many men would like an improved look, there is a reluctance to take the plunge, perhaps because of taboos around cosmetic enhancement and masculinity. However a significant 63% of men surveyed would look for ways to have treatment to alter the positioning of their teeth if they had concerns, and 24% would consider treatment if it was discreet.
Invisalign is a truly discreet treatment which corrects the alignment of teeth and brings about a change in their appearance with hardly anyone noticing the treatment. That makes it possible for sporting champions, such as the cyclist Jason Kenny to TV presenters Andy Friedlander and Luke Franks – whose treatments have all been sponsored by Invisalign - to continue their careers in the public eye, uninterrupted, while undergoing the treatment. In fact, more and more males are having Invisalign treatment; the 4 millionth person worldwide to have their teeth straightened with the Invisalign system is a man who is hoping it will enhance his appearance and his career prospects.
Something of a revolution in orthodontic terms, Invisalign clear aligners have transformed goofy, gappy, tight-lipped smiles – and boosted confidence in the process. Unlike traditional fixed orthodontic treatments where metal or ceramic ‘brackets’ are cemented to the surface of the teeth and wires run between them, the Invisalign system works by repositioning teeth discreetly, little by little, using a series of custom-made transparent plastic ‘aligners’ which are to teeth what contact lenses are to the eyes – corrective yet almost invisible. They are tailor-made to each person’s prescription so that they fit each individual and correct the alignment of the teeth. They are changed in two weekly increments to an aligner of a slightly different shape and size, moving the teeth little by little towards their final desired position.
Macho remodelling
Just as exciting is the diagnosis and planning stage of the treatment which is achieved using state of the art 3D scanning and computer remodelling technology to predict and graphically display the forecasted outcome of the Invisalign treatment in the dental chair. Align Technology is also the world’s largest user of 3D printing technology for making highly accurate, customised aligners. In fact, more than 220 million unique Invisalign aligners have been made to date. Technology also plays a significant part in the tracking of the treatment process as Align Technology has recently introduced a free app to allow those in treatment to monitor their own progress photographically and filmically week by week as their dentition moves.
*Gorkana survey conducted in October 2016 on behalf of Align Technology. Sample size 300 men of all age ranges, socio economic groups and geographical regions in the UK. Data on file
