THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BEAUTY
Thursday, June 4th, 2009
This week I presented a lecture to the Oral Surgery and General Practice Residents at New York-Presbyterian Hospital where I am on staff as a voluntary attending dentist. I was asked to speak about implants and aesthetic dentistry- certainly an interesting topic.
I had an opportunity to speak to them about the changes I’ve seen in implant dentistry over a 25 year time frame as the result of scientific frontiers that have been continually pushed outward. But just as importantly, I had the opportunity to speak to them about what I call, “The Psychology of Beauty”.
We live in a society where more of us than ever before want to look good and feel good. And for many, feeling good about themselves is tied in to feeling good about the way they look. We live in a society where baby boomers want to look better than their parents did at a similar age and where, right or wrong, it takes but 15 seconds for an observer to make decisions about who we are based on visual images (note the Susan Boyle phenomenon). I tried to educate the residents about the psyche of the patients they are treating; about their expectations based on what they see on TV and in the media, and how their self esteem can be affected by our results.
We spoke about the origins of plastic surgery and the first documented procedures in 600BC; the evolution of plastic surgery from an art and science dedicated to making disfigured patients fit into their society to one trying to make patients look better than others in society. I spoke about the phenomenon of TV shows like “Extreme Makeover” and how programs showing significant improvement in body image impact on the self-image of the individual. And I discussed with them how this evolution, indeed revolution, in technique and social thinking impacts on their successful delivery of aesthetic implant procedures.
Studies by Ellen Berscheid, at the University of Minnesota, and books such as “Survival of the Prettiest” by Nancy Etcoff, PhD cite the importance our society places on “good looks” and the “raison d’être” of the beauty industry. After all, the eyes and smile are the first two features someone looks at when they meet you for the first time. And many have come to realize the importance of a pleasing smile in both their personal and professional lives.
Of course I also addressed dental technique and process, and aesthetic and diagnostic criteria so essential to being successful. But I think the idea of presenting information on “the psychology of beauty” and how this affects our patient’s expectations is another important consideration in the learning experience.
As always, thanks for listening.
RMS
