Guru

'Unsightly cleavage' failed to cause similar reactions, and given a third of men are "much more tolerant" of short skirts, it should come as no surprise.

Of the major oral errors, 41% said bad breath was the big faux pas, followed closely by leftover food (32%), plaque (17%) and 'dry saliva residue' at ten per cent.

It may just be a coincidence that this past month (May 18 - June 17) was National Smile Month, and that during this time the UK saw its largest jump in the number of unemployed.  Word is there's a recession around the corner, which could have something to do with it, but it seems just as likely that poor dental hygiene, coupled with encouragement not to hide it, could also have affected the outcomes of job interviews. 

Even in the USA, where Hollywood stars are employed in lighthouses to smile overnight, fear of the dentist still grips the nation, with up to one in five people making excuses on the day.

But in England, where teenagers are being forced to wait up to four years for a trip to the dentist, it seems that even if you wanted good teeth to ace that interview, you have little to no chance of that happening.