Abstract :
Introduction: Smile esthetics for today’s generation is an absolute necessity. It has been etched in people’s minds to present their best selves to gain acceptance from their peers. Social media with its filter/lens feature, photo editing options, and circulation of idealized celebrity photos have left a deep scar on the self-image of people. This has made individuals resort to cosmetic makeovers as a coping mechanism.
Materials and Methods: 2 previously validated questionnaires were used. Specific items from both questionnaires were taken up which would fit the questionnaire while maintaining its essence. The final questionnaire was divided into 2 domains to understand the influence of social media and smile makeover individually. It comprised of 10 questions which were circulated via google form.
Result: 100 responses were received for the circulated questionnaire. For the social media domain, majority did not compare their smiles with that of others; were not very confident when it came to showing their smile on social media; often noticed the smile of others; and felt they had a good smile of their own. There was an even distribution when asked if they were conscious of their smile. For the cosmetic makeover domain, majority didn’t feel the need to get cosmetic procedures and were not influenced by social media into getting one.
Conclusion: Results showed social media to have a big influence on improving smile esthetics. However, the same cannot be said for the desire of getting a cosmetic makeover as the majority didn’t feel the need for it.
Keyword :
Smile esthetics, Social media, Cosmetic makeover.