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What's behind Her Smile? Health, Looks, and Self-Esteem

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  • Francisco A. Gallego
  • Cristian Larroulet Philippi
  • Andrea Repetto

Abstract

This paper examines how improving dental health affects economic, social, and psychological outcomes. In a randomized experiment, we provide a low-income group free dental care, including prostheses, and find significant and persistent impacts on men's and women's dental and self-perceived mental health. For women, treatment generates improvement in self-esteem, a higher likelihood of smiling when photographed, short-run improvements in employment and earnings, and improvement in partner interactions. We find no impact for men in these dimensions. Heterogeneity analyses suggest that treatment effects on labor market outcomes are larger for women with more severe visible dental issues at baseline.

Suggested Citation

  • Francisco A. Gallego & Cristian Larroulet Philippi & Andrea Repetto, 2024. "What's behind Her Smile? Health, Looks, and Self-Esteem," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 16(2), pages 359-388, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejapp:v:16:y:2024:i:2:p:359-88
    DOI: 10.1257/app.20210248
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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