Can a New Smile Make You Appear More Successful and Intelligent?
Dr. Anne Beall, a social psychologist and market research professional carried out the independent study on behalf of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). Pictures of eight individuals were shown to 528 Americans, a statistically valid cross section of the population. The respondents were asked to quickly judge the eight people as to how attractive, intelligent, happy, successful in their career, friendly, interesting, kind, wealthy, popular with the opposite sex, and sensitive to other people they were.
Two sets of photos were created, with each set showing four individuals before undergoing cosmetic dentistry, and four after treatment. Half the respondents viewed set A, the other half set B. The eight subjects viewed by respondents were evenly divided by gender. Two had mild improvements through cosmetic dentistry, two had moderate improvements, and four had major improvements to their smiles, to give a wide range for respondents to view. None, however, had visibly rotten teeth, missing teeth or catastrophically bad dental health in the before shots. Respondents were not told that they were looking at dentistry, but were asked to make snap judgments rating each person for the ten characteristics, on a scale of one to ten, with “one” being “not at all,” and “ten” being “extremely.”
The results indicated that an attractive smile does have broad ranging benefits:
|
Characteristic Average |
“Before” rating |
“After” rating |
Increase |
|
Attractive |
4.6 |
5.9 |
1.3 |
|
Intelligent |
5.9 |
6.5 |
.6 |
|
Happy |
6.2 |
6.8 |
.4 |
|
Successful in their career |
5.8 |
6.7 |
.9 |
|
Friendly |
6.3 |
6.8 |
.5 |
|
Interesting |
5.4 |
6.1 |
.7 |
|
Kind |
6.0 |
6.4 |
.4 |
|
Wealthy |
4.9 |
5.9 |
1.0 |
|
Popular with the opposite sex |
5.0 |
6.2 |
1.2 |
|
Sensitive to other people |
5.6 |
6.1 |
.5 |
While the change was most dramatic for Attractive, Popular with the opposite sex, Wealthy and Successful in their career, the change was statically significant in all areas.
From other studies it has been shown:
1. Virtually all Americans (99.7%) believe a smile is an important social asset.
2. 96% of adults believe an attractive smile makes a person more appealing to members of the opposite sex.
3. Three-quarters (74%) of adults feels an unattractive smile can hurt a person's chances for career success.
When asked, "What is the first thing you notice in a person's smile?" The most common responses were:
• Straightness
• Whiteness & Color of Teeth
• Cleanliness of Teeth
• Sincerity of Smile
• Any Missing Teeth
• Sparkle of Smile
And when asked, "What types of things do you consider make a smile unattractive?" The most common responses were:
• Discolored, Yellow, or Stained Teeth (see treatment photos and testimonials)
• Missing Teeth (see treatment photos and testimonial)
• Crooked Teeth (see treatment photos and testimonial)
• Decaying Teeth & Cavities (see treatment photos and treatment observations)
• Gaps & Spaces in Teeth (see treatment photos and testimonial)
• Dirty Teeth (see treatment photos and testimonial)
And finally, when respondents were asked, "What would you most like to improve about your smile?" The most common response was:
• Whiter & Brighter Teeth
All the above are based upon a 2004 scientific poll of the American public. The conclusions drawn from this current study, combined with the past information is that cosmetic dentistry can provide an answer for anyone looking to improve their smile, their self-confidence, and their prospects for romantic and career success.
-Article can be view in its entirety on the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry’s website.
