(Dr. Michelle Callahan)
I consider myself an open, welcoming person. I am able to quickly get past a person’s appearance and enjoy them (I hate to even use the word “judge”) for the person that they are rather than what they look like. However….I am the first to admit that I do make those initial judgements based purely on what my eyes see.
My husband has a classic story of first impressions. One Sunday, years ago, a man walked into our church, wearing old, worn out jeans and a dirty shirt, his days-old beard looking scruffy. My husband was in the lobby (he had an administrative role at the time) and he greeted the newcomer. He said that his “first impression sensors” were going haywire. On one hand, his senses were telling him that this guy would probably never come back around. On the other hand, the man had “bright, friendly eyes” and his demeanor seemed to contradict his outward appearance.
It turned out that this man had just finished moving in to a new house. I don’t remember the details of his story, but it went something like this: he had been driving all night, finally arrived at the new house, and didn’t have water to take a shower before driving over to the church. He figured he’d take a break and check out where the local congregation was meeting before finishing the move-in procedure.
First impressions are not always correct. In fact, they are often very incorrect….but the simple fact remains. People are judged by the first impression they make. Hopefully, just like we’d like for ourselves, we always give people a chance to show us through actions what their true character is rather than relying on those first impressions.
“There have even been studies that indicate lasting impressions are made within the first three seconds of seeing someone,” said Dr. Michelle Callahan, renowned TV host, relationship expert, coach, and development psychologist. “Many adults are concerned about how their smile might affect their chances for employment or advancement in a competitive job market.”
Kelton Research recently conducted a study where 1,047 nationally representative Americans were shown images of men and women with straight and crooked teeth. Those participating in the study were unaware that they were comparing people with straight teeth to crooked teeth. In the study, respondents were shown images of people with varying tooth issues and asked to give their honest opinion about them. According to the study results, it appears that Americans perceive people with straight teeth to have more desirable qualities than those with crooked teeth, including happiness, success, and friends.
I’m not saying it’s right…but it certainly is interesting.
“First Impressions” study results
Do you have an amusing “first impressions” story that you could share?
Note: This post was sponsored by Invisalign. The survey results and infographic were supplied by Invisalign but the thoughts and opinions included within the post are mine.
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Call it “judgment” all you want. Someone who doesn’t fix their teeth has mess-up priorities. First impressions are important. Everyone knows that. If you don’t fix your teeth, you turn everyone else off. I would never hire or date a person with messed-up teeth. I’m not “judging” them. I simply don’t want to look at their gross teeth.
People are shallow and judgmental. This is not news to any of us. Vanity is here to stay.
My teeth are straight, they have always been straight, but I have a crossbite. A nice dentist talked me out of braces when I was 20 years old. What we didn’t know is that the crossbite would lead to bruxism, TMJ and trigeminal neuralgia…my crossbite has caused me a lifetime of pain and agony. Too bad that my straight teeth and slight crossbite weren’t treated then.
Think again. Here in WA. State dental care was cut off to welfare recipients, unless pregnant, & the DISABLED due to budget cuts. There are no free clinics, just reduced price & most are HORRIBLE.
WA. State did manage to spend $2.85 BILLION on entitlements for ILLEGAL immigrants though.
nlee,
First of all, C Morrison said nothing about straight teeth, C.M. said “perfect teeth”.
And in any case, having perfect or straighter teeth does make someone look healthier when all else is equal and in more than 72% of the time means they are healthier. New England Journal of Medicine.
You can do everything right and still be riddled with cancer which means NOT HEALTHY. So your lifestyle only gives you an increased odds at being healthy, but does not guarantee it as you try to pass off.
Doy! You smile at somebody with obviously bad or crooked teeth and anyone would be initially turned off. If you get a chance ot know them, you’ll forget about it at that level. Same with fat people, ugly people, or any other moniker you could apply to somebody. This “study” is about as usefull as one testing whether “skinny” people are more attractive than blatantly “obese” people – in first impressions.
Why not have a survey about personality? Have the same tooth-challenged (I like it!) people talk about themselves for a bit and show them only from the nose up. Then have respondents judge attractiveness. the show them only the teeth of people. Then match them up with how they judged the personality and nose/eyes versus just the teeth with no voice.
That’s a real test of shallowness.
you think straight teeth make you look healthier?That was definitely an ignorant comment. What makes one healthy is their lifestyle, not their teeth being straight. I find it absolutely amazing the absolute wrong things which come out of people’s mouth. What makes you healthy is what you eat, if you exercise, etc. I am a vegan and I do yoga 4x a week, tested every 6 months to make sure I am in good health. I have some teeth which are not perfectly straight. SO as most eat their McDonald’s or cheetos with their straight perfect teeth as yourself, your teeth wont save you from diabetes or cancer.
How funny. My teeth are perfectly aligned but that’s just how they came I never had any work done on them. Don’t assume good teeth means the person is vane. Maybe they are just lucky.
I grew up in a poor family in West Tennessee. My Dad was a sharecopper (look it up) so we had little money for dentists. My Mom made sure we brushed twice a day but we rarely saw a dentist unless somthing was hurting big time. As an adult, I tried to take care of my teeth but the damage was done by not having dental care as a child. I do still have maybe 3/4 of my own teeth but have had to have root canals and caps on most of those. No one should be put down for not having perfect teeth. There are people who grew up extremely poor with no access to dental care. I do everything I can to take care of what I have left. I don’t look down on anyone who doesn’t have the perfect hollywood mouth. Those of you who have the perfect mouth have, obviously, never been without the means to take care of the originals. Not everyone is so fortunate.
It all comes down to the culture. In Europe (especially in England) many people have crooked teeth and nobody looks down on it. I have crooked teeth. When I first moved to the US dentists were surprised that I didn’t want to fix my teeth. I’m a highly educated specialist, successful, happily married (to a fellow immigrant, of course, ha-ha) etc.. I could care less if someone doesn’t like my teeth. In fact I say good riddance:-) However I have to admit that no-one has said anything about my crooked teeth here as I don’t really associate with a vain crowd. But first expressions are always a two-way street: if you cross the Atlantic with your perfect white teeth, you’re sure to draw a wrong kind of attention as it’s just considered too fake.
When I was about 6 or 7 years old, I rolled out of bed, rested my chin on the low window sill (the house was built in the 1800s; so, the windows are very large and low), and did not have the strength to pull myself back into the bed. I landed on my teeth…which ripped through the side of my mouth. I required stitches. The indentations of my teeth are still in that windowsill.
Several years later, my dentist said that I had probably fallen on my teeth at age 6 or 7. I was amazed and wondered how he knew. He told me that my nerves had been damaged in the teeth and that they would gradually get darker. Well, one of them has gotten darker. Luckily, I don’t need a root canal. Unfortunately, it is one of the front two teeth; and part of how I get work is on impressions. Nothing is wrong with the health of my teeth; but I know that people see a somewhat darker tooth. Some people have asked. I really hate being judged based on it; but I do not want to grind down and cap a tooth just to make it “pretty.” It’s not so bad; but I know that people wonder.
I’m just sharing because although it’s not a missing tooth, it’s something that sticks out with people. (I used to have such white teeth that people actually commented on them.) So, for everyone out there…don’t assume an imperfection is due to bad health of bad behavior. It could have been a simple childhood injury.
I agree Sherri. My son could have use braces and his are just slightly crooked, but the more I thought about it and the more our dentist pushed to correct his slight crook, I asked my son what he thought. He said he kinda liked it. It make him unique!
Then there’s our family.On Dad’s side,NO one has teeth after 40 years of age.It’s unbelievable.Of Course,Dad just HAD to have 11 children with five different women,and yep,all of us have horrible health due to genetics destroying the enamel starting around ten years of age on average.I’m the oldest of all of us and I have about half of my teeth left.My brother Pat is WAY worse @47yo,they’re ALL gone.NO amount of care,brushing,flossing,dentistry can change that,I even have a Ukranian born DDS who knows very well about this particular chromosome,he can do nothing as there isn’t enough bone left to do implants.My brother David(who has a different Dad)has magnificent teeth at 40yo.As do all my step-siblings with different Dads.Unfortunately,the sisters with this gene have many children that it’s passed onto,I have none due to understanding this early as it created several complications(the gum disease) with strep,rheumatic fever,rheumatoid arthritis,all before puberty.
So caring about how you look makes you “vain?” That’s just as ridiculous and judgmental as saying that not caring about how you look implies negative character qualities. If you cant see that, then you are a fool.
Here’s my theory on first impressions. Things we can easily control, such as grooming, tattoos, fashion sensce, ect…, are indications of socioeconomic status and we make initial assumptions on that. Those types of first impressions are learned. Things we can’t easily control, like teeth, weight, facial symmetry, and skin complexion (I’m refering to how healthy it looks, not race) are all health indicators and ultimately an indication of reproductive fitness, and we make initial assumptions based on that. Those types of first impressions are genetically ingrained. I’m not saying it’s right or fair, it’s just how it is.
I also used the term “can’t easily control” because to a certain extent we can control these things. I used to think I just had bad genes and was doomed to a life of obesity and heart disease, but what I’ve come to realize is my genes are fine they are just poorly adapted for the modern diet. The solution is to eat as closely as you can to the way humans ate when things like obesity, cancer, and dental carries were virtually non-existent. While you can only fix certain dental problems with braces and surgeries and such, you can definitely stop tooth decay by changing your diet.
Unfortunately it’s not cheap to eat this way. Right now I cut out all processed carbs and wheat products. Hopefully soon I’ll be able to add grass fed meat and organic vegetables. And while dairy product probably weren’t consumed 10,000 years ago, grass fed butter is very healthy for you, particularly with teeth. And it’s relatively cheap in a lot of places ($3 for 2 sticks at Trader Joe’s), so I consume plenty of that.
When I see someone with those perfect, super-white Chicklet teeth I usually am not overly impressed .Too fake, too shallow, too concerned with what the media has told the masses people should look like. Ali McGraw made a fortune with her overlapping front teeth.
Dental disease, or repair after an accident, surgery etc is one thing. To see to have blinding, uniform , perfectly aligned teeth is more a personal vanity issue, in my view.
Spot on my friend. The color or appearance has no more to do with honesty and employability than the color of your skin does.
I think Ellen’s a bit of a troll. Follow her rules at your own peril. I know two businessmen who were very successful in corporate America, retired early, pay cash for everything, plus are caring fathers, donate to charity, etc., who have poor teeth. Their parents were immigrants who were anxious about doctors, so their teeth suffered when they were kids and they felt it was vain to do so much work to fix them. Personally, I wouldn’t let my teeth go, but you can’t afford to look down on people just because of their teeth – they could actually be quite successful, helpful, all that good stuff.
In police academy, we get a lesson on sizing down a person in the shortest amount of time possible. Clothes plays a small part. Grooming comes in especially with gang grooming like you see in prisoners. Teeth are important because meth users have dark, broken, missing, and crooked teeth because of the very bad overall health they are in. Anyone can have straight teeth so we ignore that right away. Pieces of tobacco in the teeth indicate snuff use and that sometimes equates to coke use. They soak the coke and snuff in a solution and then cook it down so the coke goes into the snuff. Its hard to find unless you field test the snuff. Missing teeth almost always indicates a strange situation because even welfare recipients can get free bridges at welfare dental clinics. As a general rule, you want to really be aware of someone missing a tooth. It usually means they got it knocked out.
I remember the first time I saw Sam Walton open a store in Southern Illinois. The mayor, the council, and the rest of the small city employees (me included) were dressed to the nines to welcome this great entrepreneur. Everyone expected something like a movie star or a royalty figure. Instead, this old beat up truck entered the parking lot and a scruffy looking older guy with a dog came out. Looking around, he walked up to the big yellow ribbon that was on the front pillars of the doorway, grabbed the scissors (supersized, of course), and cut the ribbon there and then. Walked back to the truck and got in with his dog and drove away. Never said a word. I loved it. A person who was true to his convictions and lifestyle.
I had braces as a kid, but in my case, it was necessary. My teeth were so bad it was hard to speak correctly and the roof of my mouth wasn’t exactly charmed either!
I was born with perfect teeth and I have children with perfect teeth. None of us needed braces and when we go into the dentist office, they call in all the workers to look at our x-rays. We have amazing roots as well. I always think that we would have been judged to be more beautiful or desirable in an earlier time because now so many people can get their teeth fixed. At any rate I am still thankful that we have great teeth. I think that it does make you look healthier and makes your smile more friendly.
I’m with you. I thought that braces or invisaline was the answer but it just can not work on my teeth. I have an overbite, crooked teeth, an extra tooth and they tell me they can fix it only by breaking my jaw and sucking soup through a straw until it heals? It is not as simple as getting braces for straight teeth you shallow people. My parents could not afford orthodondists when I was a kid, I’m now over 40 and just deal with it and thankfully I have a decent job and a loving wife. Contrary to the polls, I don’t trust people with perfect teeth, it’s like a facade or a distraction for something shady going on inside, that’s my impression right or wrong.
Guess I’m the odd one out, but I’m just the opposite. When I meet someone with those perfect, plastic looking too-white teeth I tend to judge them UNfavorably, as vain, shallow and given to spending money on ridiculous superficialities. I was put in my place once, though, when I met a beautiful woman with those impossibly straight, white teeth whom I came to know as a beautiful, compassionate soul. I still have to try to overlook her ‘hollywood’ smile, but thank heaven I now know the real person inside.
Diana I would love to fix your teeth! Cosmetic veneers are often easier and give a better long term result than braces. Braces also are wonderful in straightening teeth but they do not change the color of dark teeth, veneers do.
Schnurri I went to dental school in West Virginia and I am a practicing dentist. The statement that rbwphd made is factually correct. West Virginia does have one of the highest edentulous (loss of all teeth) rates in the country and from my personal observation of treating many people in West Virginia many of them have missing teeth and the desire to save their teeth is very low. Before you start calling people bigoted you should look at real statistics.
Although I try very hard not to develop my opinion of anyone until I know them well, I must admit that eyes and teeth certainly make a “first impression”. I think it is unavoidable, but also immature to allow those first impressions to cloud reality.
Daughter of an orthodontist and Mother of four each treated for different occlusions one for only 9 months one for 8 years which was started early tell me about it.. they all today say thank you Mom.. and thank you Grand pa for helping us has the bright and healthy teeth they all have today
Not true Ellen, it is more up to genes than you realize. My fiance has always taken better care of her teeth than I. We are both 26 and I have never had a cavity, or a tooth pulled (except wisdom teeth). Yet she has had multiple cavities and generally more fragile teeth. On my dads side (where I got my genes) our teeth are long lasting and healthy, both of my grandparents have little obvious decay, even though my grandpa chews and bottom teeth are stained. On my mothers side, both of my grandparents have few teeth with dentures, though with my grandmother it was actually a medicine she was given by prescription which eventually ruined her teeth long ago.
I have crooked teeth-and an overbite-a significant one that would require my nose and jaw be broken to fix-and about $45,000 or more…and not doing so totally cost me a career or too. It still causes issues at almost 40. You people do realize how petty and insane it is to judge people this way…to pay them less, and subject them to less than normal treatment because they can’t afford your orthodontic torture devices.
My family has lived in West Virginia since before the Civil War and we all have wonderful teeth. Your statement “Not many” is false and bigoted! You do not know all of the people of West Virginia.
I think eyes say it all. Friendly, twinkling eyes, a nice smile and kind words are the best openers. I have always checked out the eyes and then the smiles of the guys I dated – not necessisarily straight or perfect teeth but clean, well-cared for teeth.
I am so astonished someone knows how to use IN TO properly as opposed to INTO…. Cheers and 2 thumbs up to you…
Superficial and always erronous. Teeth relay nothing about the super ego. This is the very reason people shouldn’t judge others. They insert bias based on non relative information and can never acheive an accurate estimate due to their lack of self reflection. I guess the logic is that the highest forms of vanity purvey the highest quality traits in all other areas. Wow. I guess stupid is as real as straight teeth.
Not many folks here in West Virginia have all their teeth. Although many people we know and love fall into this category it makes my wife and I feel good to have all our natural teeth!
Growing up in the 60’s & 70’s, my parents only took us to the dentist when we had no choice and chose having a tooth pulled over having one filled. My father had dentures from a young age and my mother had good teeth naturally. I inherited my father’s teeth and even though I brushed, I still had horribly decaying teeth as a teen. I smiled with my lips closed or covered my mouth to laugh. As an adult, I had my teeth fixed, and now have a decent smile. It’s true, people do judge you, and it does hurt your status in life. But it’s also true that we can allow these experiences to either keep us down or make us stronger. Superficial friends are the ones that will not be there when you truly need them. True friends will…and they’re the ones that saw my soul in my big brown eyes and gave me a chance before I gave myself a pretty smile.
My brother and I were in a bad car accident when we were young boys. He ended up with severe facial scars that he went through school and the rest of his life with. And yes kids can be brutal. I lost a front tooth in that accident. It has not been replaced and I will not replace it. Be pretty!
I always went to the dentist… I always brushed and flossed my teeth. When I started school, I aced an IQ test, my parents were always supportive of me and I went to college on scholarships. However, everytime I went to the dentist(s) and asked them to do something about my crooked teeth, they would NOT! They claimed they were good teeth and had no cavities,e tc… Very frustraing for me as I wanted straight teeth! Your comments were ignorant.
Here’s the thing of it:
Your smile is the single most important thing about your face. It’s human nature to judge people’s social status by their teeth, and 99% of the time, someone who doesn’t take care of their teeth is very low on the social status and success scale. It means they do not understand the importance of their teeth, and are failing in life. Because if they were successful, they’d take care of their teeth. That’s a fact. Your teeth are more important than how you dress. Take care of them or you’ll find yourself suffering for life.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Its a very human trait. But first impressions make a huge difference. But its always important to reevaluate.
I have a similar first impression story. I was in the back of my church with my baby who was being fussy. I looked out the door and saw a group of men dressed like bikers sitting at the church picnic table. I was frightened and considered going back into the service. A few minutes later, they walked in and were greeted by a church member. The group walked down the aisle and were speakers! They were a Christian motorcycle group. I learned a hard lesson that day.