Seen Smile

A new study published by Cigna, a worldwide health services organization, helps confirm the connection between oral health and confidence. It shows that people who reported as having “excellent” oral health had higher self-confidence than those who reported, “fair to poor oral health.” The study also shows that the insecurities about smiles and oral health have had a direct impact on employment opportunities for many of the people included in the study.

The survey had 1000 respondents 1000 U.S. citizens aged 18 years and above in such a way that the sample composition approximated the population of U.S. adults with regard to gender, age and census region. The questionnaire asked the respondents to respond to questions on how they rated their self-confidence, the impact of the smile and oral health on employment, the convenience and stress of going to the dentist, and their perceptions of others’ smiles and oral health.

The survey showed that, of those who were completely satisfied with their smile, 93% rated their self-confidence as excellent or very good. However, 15% reported being “not at all or not very satisfied,” and 16% said their smile impairs their self-confidence. In the study, researchers also noted that adults who have routine dental care two or more times per year reported significantly higher rates of self-confidence than people who go less than once a year or not at all.

As oral health affects many aspects of life, the impact of the smile and oral health on employment was also investigated. More than 21% of people surveyed reported feeling less confident about job interviews because of their smile or the state of their oral health, and 12% believed their smile or oral health condition held them back from getting a job or getting a promotion.

According to Cigna, the study was conducted among consumers not only to better understand oral health’s impact on self-esteem, confidence, employability, and stress but also to examine its impact on the ability to make and maintain meaningful social connections. The overall goal of this study was to develop insights on whether or not having dental coverage has a direct impact on mental well-being.