Dental esthetic and the likelihood of finding a job in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Person's physical, dental appearance, and sexual identity are the characteristics most obvious to others. Prior researches suggest that visible sign of unhealthy dental status may lead to an individual's social or professional exclusion, so the aim of the study was to measure the influence of dental appearance on hiring managers' perception of intelligence, honesty and efficiency of job applicants in Saudi Arabia, and the likelihood of employment opportunity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study comprised 280 hiring managers. All participants were assigned randomly into two groups and received a survey with 10 different images for hypothetical job applicants. The images were digitally manipulated to have the Saudi national dress and to represent different dental conditions. The photos in both surveys were the opposite with no repetition except for 3 for reliability. Each evaluator randomly received one survey without knowing of the other. Participants were asked questions about their perception of honesty, intelligence, efficiency, and potential employability of the provided applicants' photos. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in demographics data between the hiring managers assigned to both groups. Hypothetical job applicants with smiles affected by malocclusion were perceived to be less intelligent with P value = 0.0001, but there was no altered perception for honesty and efficiency. Moreover, applicants with caries were perceived to be less honest, intelligent, and efficient by the hiring managers with P value of 0.0007, 0.0011 and 0.0138, respectively. Applicants with dental imperfections compared to normal smile were 52% less likely to be employed. CONCLUSION: Dental appearance might alter people perception about the character of the affected person, and it might influence the judgment of future employers when screening for candidates; as a result, we recommend more educational programs for the public and hiring managers.