Can the way my teeth look have an influence on finding a job?

By: Dr. Semco

There are many advantages to having an ideal smile. But can it help me land a job? This question was addressed in the October 2014 issue of the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. The goal of the study was to see if the way your teeth look would influence the perceptions of the people responsible for hiring for a company.

The study consisted of photographs of the faces of 10 patients that were altered to look like they had ideal teeth. There were two groups where each group contained either an initial smile photo or an altered smile photo.  The images were evaluated by 100 people who were responsible for hiring staff for their company. For each photo, the raters were asked whether the photo displayed the image of someone who is likely to be hired, honest, intelligent, or efficient at work. 

The results were noteworthy.  People with ideal smiles were considered more intelligent and having a greater chance of finding a job than the people with non-ideal smiles.  There was no relationship between the way the teeth looked and the perception of honesty or efficiency at work. Trying to increase your chance of being hired? Let me straighten your teeth!