The influence of tooth colour on the perceptions of personal characteristics among female dental patients: comparisons of unmodified, decayed and 'whitened' teeth
The influence of tooth colour on the perceptions of personal characteristics among female dental patients: comparisons of unmodified, decayed and 'whitened' teeth
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DOI：
10.1038/bdj.2008.134
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发表时间：
2008-03-01
影响因子：
2.6
通讯作者：
Williams, D. M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Kershaw, S.;Newton, J. T.;Williams, D. M.
目的外貌在人类社会交往中起着关键作用，而微笑和牙齿是决定一张脸吸引力的重要特征。此外，嘴巴被认为在社会交往中很重要。这项研究的目的是确定牙齿颜色和社会知觉之间的关系。方法横断面调查。180名女性参与者观看了六张图片中的一张，男性或女性经过数字修改，显示了三种可能的牙齿状态(未修改、腐烂或变白)之一。这些图像根据四个人格特征进行评分：社交能力(SC)、智力(IA)、心理适应(PA)和关系满意度(RS)。结果龋齿外貌导致对四种人格类型的负面判断较多。美白的牙齿会带来更多积极的评价。图像的性别和参与者的人口背景对评估没有显著影响。结论牙齿颜色对社会知觉有一定影响。这一结果可能可以用关于龋齿的负面看法来解释，比如它与糟糕的口腔卫生有关。
Objective Physical appearance plays a key role in human social interaction and the smile and teeth are important features in determining the attractiveness of a face. Furthermore, the mouth is thought to be important in social interactions. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between tooth colour and social perceptions. Methods Cross-sectional survey. One hundred and eighty female participants viewed one of six images, either a male or a female digitally altered to display one of three possible dental statuses (unmodified, decayed, or whitened). The images were rated on four personality traits: social competence (SC), intellectual ability (IA), psychological adjustment (PA), and relationship satisfaction (RS). Results Decayed dental appearance led to more negative judgements over the four personality categories. Whitened teeth led to more positive appraisals. The gender of the image and the demographic background of the participant did not have a significant effect on appraisals. Conclusion Tooth colour exerts an influence on social perceptions. The results may be explained by negative beliefs about dental decay, such as its link with poor oral hygiene.