On Toothless Wonders (Edentulous Individuals)

Why is it that when we see an individual with a missing tooth, we immediately form negative opinions about that person? It's much different from seeing a person with another type of injury such as a facial scar, missing limb or other such disfigurement.

But, why is it that the sight of an endentulous individual suddenly fills us with a sort of revulsion? Is it an instinctual thing, or is it more of a cultural phenomenon? I've experienced it, myself. Seeing a person I don't know, and upon noticing the missing teeth, immediately forming a negative impression about them in my mind. It's very strange, indeed.

Here's a study outlining some of what I'm talking about:

"Social Perceptions of Individuals Missing Upper Front Teeth"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18556899

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Teeth
• Endentulous
• Missing
• Toothless Wonder
• Toothless
• Wonder
• Social
• Perception
• Instinct
• Reaction
• Negative
• Impression
• Dentition

[DaithiDublin]

(Contd) ..round of treatment, and I cannot wait for it to be behind me. I've spent about 12 years with it now, and I forget what it's like not to be negatively perceived even before I get a chance to prove myself. It's the reason I don't vlog more than I'd like to, and I'm looking forward to that changing too. Thanks for the link!

[TheSkepticalAtheist]

@DaithiDublin

It sounds like it's been a horrible experience. I'm glad you're able to be in a position to be able to repair the damage and put it behind you - both the teeth situation and your life, in general. It's a curious thing that regardless of what other visible flaws we may have, missing teeth seems to have the most negative impact on how others see us.

[DaithiDublin]

@TheSkepticalAtheist I blame Deliverance! But finally seeing the end of my treatments will be a deliverance all it's own. I've just sent an email off to one of the authors of that paper you linked, in the hopes of getting my hands on the full text of the paper. It would be interesting to hear of other people's experiences.

As curious as you say the effect of such flaws has on our perceptions, I have to plead guilty to the same perceptions. There's something innate there.

[TheSkepticalAtheist]

@DaithiDublin

That's a very interesting point you make there. Even suffering the same condition, you find yourself exercising those same prejudices. There definitely is something innate in that perception. I'd be curious to hear your findings if you're able to get your hands on that paper!

[conferencereport]

As a long-time victim of dental apartheid I am appalled at the level of mandibular discrimination displayed in this video.

[TheSkepticalAtheist]

@conferencereport

Mandibular discrimination? I suppose you're correct. Although, maldentition of the mandibular sort is less perceptible than endentulous circumstances of the upper mouth sort. I sincerely apologize for my lack of affirmative action and equal opportunity concerning endentulous individuals of all types.

[DaithiDublin]

I must check out that study. As an edentulous individual myself, I can confirm the findings. I did some considerable harm to myself both mentally and physically many years ago through a combination of drink and drugs and poor living in general. My teeth were the most visible victims of that. I t was many years before I was in a position to start repairing the damage. I definitely saw the effect it had on people's perceptions of me. I still do. In the next month or two I start the last.. (Contd)