CDA Essentials 2018 • Volume 6 • Issue 1

31 Issue 1 | 2019 | S upporting Y our P ractice She described how guarded she was before treatment: “ You kind of always have a guard up and you think, ‘As I’m talking to you, she’s staring at that chip or can she see the stain?’” She also described the impact of treatment: “ Now I can carry on a conversation longer and not worry about what they’re thinking.” In response to the question, “Have you noticed any difference in how you feel like other people view you?” one man answered, “ Yes. They’re not afraid anymore. When my teeth were very bad, I was not so friendly looking I guess, but now I’m in recovery. It’s a big difference.” Another participant felt that his poor oral health caused others to assume that he was abusing drugs, leaving him experiencing shame and social isolation: “ My teeth were in such a bad state just from having so many dental problems over the years. I was incredibly embarrassed about my appearance, and I had, you know, there was rumours that because my teeth were so bad, I must have been using methamphetamines or other drugs for many years, in my family and other people. And that certainly wasn’t the case!” Participants made numerous references to shielding their teeth with their hands while engaging in conversation. For example, one participant mentioned how self-conscious he was while speaking and admitted that he even grew facial hair to try to deflect attention from his teeth and avoid negative judgements. Commenting on the difference that dental treatment had made, he added: “ I’ve got a lot of confidence when I’m around people. I don’t cover my mouth when I’m talking or laughing in public.” Several participants spoke specifically about how their interactions with family members had been affected. One man explained that the low self-esteem he experienced before treatment led him to distance himself from his family. Once his dental problems were addressed, he reached out to family members he had not seen in a while, including his mother. Commenting on the reconciliation with his estranged mother, he said, “ She didn’t look down on me. She recognized some of the other achievements that I had made in my lifetime as well, and it made me feel extremely proud.” One participant spoke about the difference he felt that his renewed confidence had on his romantic prospects: “ I felt like I was able to smile again. It gave me a great deal of confidence to the point where I actually have a wonderful girlfriend today. Even though I never thought something like that would happen.” In reflecting on their social interactions, participants gave expression at an intuitive and experiential level to the “what is beautiful is good” theme identified in the literature. They experienced first-hand the negative attributions, judgements, stigma and isolation that go along with violating societal appearance norms. However, they also had the opportunity to experience the difference that dental treatment can make. Once isolated and estranged from family and friends, they were now able to describe more positive interactions and the re-establishment of relationships they once thought were lost forever. Employability A final theme that emerged from the data was how participants experienced their improved confidence in the context of employability. Most felt that their job and career prospects had been enhanced as a result of the difference dental treatment had made in their self-esteem and confidence levels. Applying for a job or requesting a raise is difficult for most people under the best of circumstances, because it involves exposing oneself to vulnerability and rejection. For those with dental problems that affect their appearance, the stakes are even higher. One participant identified an increased willingness to take this risk after his dental treatment. “ Prior to having the dental work done, I would not have had any vested interest in sending out resumes or making appointments for job interviews. Now, I send out my resume. I don’t have a problem going to meet with anybody.” Another participant admitted to limiting herself in terms of the kinds of jobs she was prepared to consider in light of the appearance of her teeth: “ I probably wouldn’t have taken a front-desk position with my teeth the way they were before or worked in customer service direct one on one. I wouldn’t have because of how low my confidence was, and I couldn’t smile properly. So unless you can be free with your whole face, you can’t be true to the customer.”