A fifth of UK adults feel judged because their teeth are not straight

Many cite landmark events such as weddings, christenings, special birthdays, or returning to dating after a divorce as a primary motivation to enhance their looks, with 6 per cent undergoing orthodontic treatment (teeth straightening) to improve their smiles ahead of a milestone event.

The survey, commissioned by Align Technology also revealed that weddings are the landmark event where concern for our appearance is most prevalent; 63 per cent of those surveyed looked for ways to improve their looks before a wedding.Perhaps because so many pictures are taken on the big day concerns run especially deep?  Smiles are on full display, not only of the bride and groom, but of the mother of the bride, the bridesmaids, in fact all the main protagonists of the wedding party.

The rise in use of digital cameras, particularly those on smart phones, has led to a massive increase in the number of pictures being taken, particularly at the major milestones in our lives. It is estimated last year there were 809bn photographs taken in 2014, up from 664bn in 2013. Pictures which were once stored in albums tucked away in drawers and surfacing ‘once in a blue moon’, are now readily shared via social media and available to be viewed instantly – and commented on - by family and strangers alike. Is it any wonder that so many of us worry about how our smiles may look in pictures?