The impact of dental appearance on perceptions of personal characteristics among Chinese people in the United Kingdom.
OBJECTIVE
To ascertain whether dental appearance affects perceptions of personal characteristics among Chinese people living in the UK.


METHODS
Cross-sectional analytic interview study.


METHODS
Public places frequented by Chinese people.


METHODS
Quota sample of 165 Chinese adults living in the UK.


METHODS
Each participant was asked to make judgements about the personal characteristics of the subject of a single colour photograph. Fifteen photographs were used of five different men each with three degrees of dental disease.


RESULTS
Judgements of the adjustment and social and intellectual competence of the subjects of the photographs.


RESULTS
Participants judged subjects with less dental disease to be better adjusted and more intellectually competent.


CONCLUSIONS
Dental appearance affected the judgements about some personal characteristics made by the Chinese people studied. Dental appearance may influence social interactions and contribute to social selection and the associations between health and socio-economic status.
Feng
X P
XP
Newton
J T
JT
Robinson
P G
PG
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001290:Attitude; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000523:psychology; D004522:Educational Status; D004739:England; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007600:Judgment; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D010781:Photography; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012928:Social Desirability; D012938:Social Perception; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013997:Time Factors; D014075:Tooth Discoloration / Q000523:psychology