The chances are that when looking for a new partner, people have a set of ideals in mind for that special someone. It could be a person’s eye, hair, physique or personality. However, what is the most sought after feature when looking for a potential date?
A study in 2013 by Match.com surveyed 5,481 singles of both sexes to investigate what was important for a person when looking for a new relationship. The results showed that the number one featurepeople value was actually their teeth. Fifty eight percent of men, and a staggering seventy one percent of women said that healthy teeth were the most important out of all attributes. A previous UK study in 2012 also found that people took into consideration the colour and spacing between teeth.
New research suggests that people reaching young adulthood around the turn of the millennium feel just as strongly about teeth as the older generations do. Chief scientific advisor for Match.com, Doctor Helen Fisher, was not shocked by the results. She was quoted in a USA Today article as saying, “From a Darwinian perspective, good teeth are a real indication of your health — how much you drink, smoke, what you’re eating.” It just goes to show that good dental care can have wider reaching benefits than just a healthy mouth.