Look Younger with Whiter Teeth

Enhancing a smile with teeth whitening can make a person look over a decade younger.

Research by Oral B revealed that damaging the colour of teeth through years of bad oral hygiene habits such as smoking, drinking coffee and red wine as well as failing to brush regularly can age a woman by as much as thirteen years.

The toothbrush maker showed 2,000 people two different photos of the same female, one image with digitally altered stained teeth and the other picture with a shining smile, and they were asked to guess the woman's age.

It was clear from the results that the brighter the smile, the younger a person appears as the survey respondents estimated that the model with white teeth was 31 while the other image apparently depicted a person who was 44.

Dr Phil Stemmer, dental ambassador for Oral B, said that it is vitally important for people to have an attractive smile because it is one of the first things that people notice when they meet someone.

The quality of someone's smile also influences a person's opinion of them including how successful and wealthy they think are as well as the overall lifestyle they supposedly lead.

It was found that 85 per cent of people thought that adults with bad teeth earned between £10,000 and £50,000 per annum while 82 per cent said those with a good smile would bring home in the region of £25,000 to £75,000.

Dr Stemmer said: "Whether or not we are aware of it, when we first meet someone who doesn't smile or has unhealthy looking teeth we can form negative intuitive views about their lifestyle - from their relationship status, career success and pay packet to their character and even their age."

The spokesman for the British Dental Association went onto say that white teeth are also an indicator of health as a stained smile can reveal potential wellbeing problems such as gingivitis.

He said: "Teeth are important to the way you look and how confident you feel but it also has an impact on your overall health which can often be overlooked.

"We're all after the elixir of youth, but one of the simplest ways you can ensure you maintain your youthful looks, is to brush up on your oral hygiene."

Oral B also discovered that 80 per cent of people thought that job seekers with a healthy smile are more likely to find employment in the current economic climate.


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