Are Crooked Teeth Ruining Your Love Life?

When looking at a potential partner, what are your biggest turn-ons and turn-offs? Chances are, a few things immediately come to mind.

In 2013, Match.com conducted a survey among singles to find out what they wanted in a potential partner, and what would cause them to cancel a date. They performed a survey of 5,481 single men and women, and the results revealed some extremely interesting stats about the views of singles.

For starters, can you guess the number one quality the survey found singles look for in a potential mate? It’s not their accent, their clothes, or the car they drive. Nope, it’s not even their hair.

It’s their teeth.

We’ve all heard the saying “Your smile is the key to my heart.” Well, 71 percent of women, and 58 percent of men say that a smile is actually the number one thing they judge the opposite sex on, according to the survey results.

The second quality men and women judge a partner on is grammar. Hair is ranked number three for men, while clothes are ranked number three for women.

Biological anthropologist Dr. Helen Fisher, the chief scientific advisor at Match.com, helped develop the survey. She was not surprised by the results, especially the number one quality men and women look for in a partner.

“From a Darwinian perspective, good teeth are a real indication of your health — how much you drink, smoke, what you're eating,” she said in a USA Today article.

A 2012 UK study also found that teeth color and spacing influence an overall rating of physical attractiveness. For the survey, 150 participants were asked to view photos of subjects whose teeth had been digitally replaced with variations of yellow, white, straight and crooked teeth.

Participants were then asked to rate the attractiveness of each subject. From these results, researchers concluded that yellow or dark teeth and deviations from normal spacing were perceived as unattractive, particularly when judging women.

Traditional braces can surely help with the problem of crooked or unevenly spaced teeth, but at what cost? Since teeth are the most judged feature in a potential partner, a mouth full of metal may have potentially negative influences on our overall attraction.

Millennials today have similar feelings when it comes to teeth, braces and the dating world. We asked a few millennials to weigh in and here’s what they had to say:

“One of the first things I notice in someone is their smile or teeth. For me, it's not a total deal breaker if someone has yellow or crooked teeth but it definitely plays a factor in attractiveness and whether I would date them.”
-Ally, 23, Connecticut

“Yes of course. Someone with nicer teeth more often equates to an attractive smile and an indication of one’s care for personal hygiene. The higher the degree of personal hygiene is a direct correlation to an attractive personality.”
-Mitch, 31, Massachusetts

“Nice teeth tell you that the person cares about their image and they are well put together, in the sense that they care about hygiene and appearance. Having nice teeth really can make a person seem more charismatic.”
-Jessica, 20, California

“Straight teeth are more attractive to me. I believe if two individuals who have straight teeth meet, they are more inclined to date one another.”
-Daniel, 22, Arizona

“I’m definitely not likely to date someone who has braces. I'm 30. Adult braces are strange. There are too many other options these days. Get with it. They are either out of the loop or lazy.”
- Lindsey, 30, Arizona

“Teeth are really important when it comes to dating because they are the main point of focus when speaking. When it comes to braces, I feel like they are associated with middle school and being a dorky little kid. People my age with braces can look a little funny. Personally, I’d rather go for a guy without braces.”
-Marissa, 21, Illinois

“Although a guy with braces will eventually have perfect teeth, there are a lot of cons that come with that. Like, having to accommodate on food selections when they get them tightened. That shiz hurts and they need lots of soup and mashed taters! I guess a pro would be lots of ice cream!”
-Emily, 31, Missouri

Nice teeth are important in today’s dating world, but is it possible to avoid that awkward “brace-face” stage? Thankfully, there are other options to traditional braces, and not all of them will cost you a fortune.

Say goodbye to brace face and hello to SmileDirectClub, an invisible aligner treatment that also whitens your smile. SmileDirectClub is a safe, easy and affordable alternative to traditional braces.

Are you a candidate? Take a free assessment to find out.

You never know who you’ll meet one day. Make sure your smile is ready for it.

Reviewed November 1, 2016
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

Sponsored by: SmileDirectClub