A tip for the presidential candidates: study these presidential smiles

Analysis of historical presidential smiles shows which ones polled best

OAK BROOK, Illinois - February 8, 2016 - Presidential candidates, and indeed most politicians, know the power of a good smile on the campaign trail. But what style of smile does the public prefer—the toothy grin of John F. Kennedy or the wry smile of Ronald Reagan?

Newly released data by Delta Dental Plans Association may be of interest to the candidates as it provides a detailed look at the presidential smiles most liked by the public.

Survey findings by-the-numbers, ranking the smiles of the past five presidents from each party:

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"When a president smiles, they connect with so many people," said Jennifer Elliott, vice president of marketing for Delta Dental Plans Association. "A great smile is something that leaves a long-lasting impression and, clearly, people have strong opinions about which presidents had the best smiles."

Some other interesting notes from the survey:

While John F. Kennedy only took a slight 2% edge with women (46% vs. men: 44%), Barrack Osama had an 11 point difference with women (30%) over men (19%). However, the opposite rang true for Bill Clinton with more men (22%) thinking he had the best smile than women (12%).

Ronald Reagan was the clear front runner with older generations (66%) who thought he had the best smile vs. less than half of Millennials (48%). One-fourth of Millennials (25%) are likely to view George W. Bush as having the best smile compared to only 12% of their older counterparts.

"A healthy smile is a powerful thing," added Elliott, "whether on the campaign trail or not, it can have a positive impact on those around you."

Results taken from a Fall/Winter omnibus survey conducted for Delta Dental Plans Association by Kelton Global between October 26th and 29th, 2015 among 1,013 nationally representative Americans 18+. The margin of error is +/-3.1 percent.

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