Kate Moss was guessed as older with her real teeth. Photo / Getty
Having bad teeth can make you look up to 12 years older, say experts.
Researchers found that stains caused by smoking, drinking coffee or red wine and a lack of brushing lead others to overestimate your age.
But if you have gleaming white teeth, they think you are younger than you really are.
In a study carried out by dentists, a panel of 1,000 were shown photos of models. In some of the pictures they had white teeth, while others showed them with light or heavy staining.
When shown a photo of a female model in her 30s, participants estimated she was 31 with white teeth, 37 with mild stains and 43 with heavily-stained teeth - a difference of 12 years.
They guessed a male model, also in his 30s, was 28 with clean teeth, 32 with mild stains and 38 with heavy ones - a gap of ten years.
The team from Carisbrook Dental, in Manchester, also showed participants photos of celebrities, including smoker Kate Moss. She was guessed to be 41 - her real age - with her own teeth but 35 with cleaned teeth.
- Daily Mail
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