People are considered more attractive when their pupils and canine teeth are parallel

November 16, 2016

It is position of teeth in relation to the eyes which is crucial – say dentists
Those with a highly rated smile have eyes and teeth more closely in line
Experts carried out an internet search using the words ‘best smile’, as part of their research

Colin Fernandez Science Correspondent For The Daily Mail

Published:
19:06 EST, 11 November 2016

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Updated:
19:33 EST, 11 November 2016

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Dentists have discovered what makes an attractive smile – and it’s not just about having perfect teeth.

They concluded that while you can improve the look of teeth – and even move them around with braces – it is their position in relation to the eyes that is crucial.

Those with a highly rated smile, such as actress Julia Roberts, pictured, were found to have eyes and teeth more closely in line than others.

Dentists have discovered what makes an attractive smile – and it’s not just about having perfect teeth

Those with a highly rated smile, such as actress Julia Roberts, pictured, were found to have eyes and teeth more closely in line than others

The more parallel the pupil line and the line of the canine teeth, the better a smile was rated, the dentists’ experiment found.

They said the findings ‘may help remind the general public that an ‘attractive smile’ is the sum of overall facial symmetry, and not just the teeth’, adding that the perfect smile is ‘not always achievable via dental modifications’.

To uncover what made a superior smile, the researchers carried out an internet search using the words ‘best smile’ or ‘ideal smile’ and ‘celebrities’ or ‘Hollywood’.

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From this, 108 pictures of famous men and women were selected, of which 32 male and 62 female were used in the study. Pictures were rejected if the tips of the canine teeth could not be seen. They then took photographs of 200 dental students.

Computer software calculated how close to parallel the line between the pupils and the line between the canine teeth were.

The study found that the difference in the angle between the two lines – or the ‘angulation discrepancy’ – was just 0.97 degrees in the case of the celebrities with highly rated smiles, and 1.33 degrees for the students.

To uncover what made a superior smile, the researchers carried out an internet search using the words ‘best smile’ or ‘ideal smile’ and ‘celebrities’ or ‘Hollywood’

Female celebrities had greater symmetry than male celebrities, and the female students were more symmetrical than their male counterparts.

The study authors, led by Dr Vasiliki Koidou, of Minnesota University in the US, wrote in the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry: ‘It was concluded that celebrities identified as having a superior smile have significantly smaller smile angulation discrepancies when compared with dental students.’

The research adds to previous work that has found humans have a preference for symmetrical faces.