The purpose of this study was to determine if dental aesthetics is perceived by adults to affect an individual’s ability to emerge as a leader. An electronic survey was constructed using facial frontal smiling photographs of 10 patients. Statements were formulated to evaluate four leadership characteristics: intelligence, self-confidence, friendliness, and trustworthiness. Evaluators indicated their level of agreement with each statement for each subject using a 100mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Data was obtained from 214 evaluators. Picture ratings were analyzed using repeated-measures mixed-model analyses. Evaluator factors and picture factors were considered when testing for crooked vs. straight teeth differences. There was a significant difference in perception of individuals with straight versus crooked teeth for the characteristics of intelligence, trustworthiness, and self-confidence. No difference found for the characteristic of friendliness. The gender and race of the evaluators influenced the rating of the subjects. Results from this study may support the importance of good smile aesthetics for adults who seek a leadership role.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:vcu.edu/oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-2829 |
| Date | 18 May 2009 |
| Creators | Montgomery, E. Britton |
| Publisher | VCU Scholars Compass |
| Source Sets | Virginia Commonwealth University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | © The Author |
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