Does dental appearance affect employment prospects: a prospective cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Dental Research

Background:

• Employment prospects are crucial for individuals.
• The influence of physical appearance, specifically dental aesthetics, on hiring decisions is not fully understood.
• Distinguishing between public-facing and non-public-facing roles may reveal differential impacts of appearance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if dental appearance on a curriculum vitae (CV) photograph affects employment prospects.
• To investigate if this effect differs between public-facing and non-public-facing jobs.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, cross-sectional experimental analogue study was conducted with 90 business undergraduates.
• Participants reviewed CVs with photographs manipulated for dental appearance (aligned teeth, braces, missing incisor) and job type (public-facing vs. non-public-facing).
• Likert scales measured shortlisting likelihood, analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA).

Main Results:

• A trend suggested candidates with an absent maxillary lateral incisor were less likely to be shortlisted for public-facing roles.
• No statistically significant main effects were found for dental appearance or job type.
• No significant interaction between dental appearance and job type, nor a significant gender effect, was observed.

Conclusions:

• Dental appearance in CV photographs does not significantly influence employment prospects or shortlisting decisions.
• The type of job (public-facing vs. non-public-facing) did not alter the impact of dental appearance.
• Hiring decisions in this study were not swayed by the dental aesthetics presented in applicant photographs.