Looking younger can be as simple as taking care of your teeth.

It’s true. Research by Oral B found that smile quality can significantly affect people’s perception of age. White teeth convey youth. Yellowed teeth do the opposite.

The findings come from a survey of 2,000 people in Great Britain, who were asked to guess the age of a woman who, in one photo, had pearly white teeth and, in the other, had stains indicative of coffee or tobacco use.

The result? Oral B found that respondents were more likely to consider the woman with bad oral hygiene as older. By how much? Thirteen years.

The first woman’s suspected age: 31. The second woman’s: 44.

“We’re all after the elixir of youth,” said Phil Stemmer, dental ambassador for Oral B, “but one of the simplest ways you can ensure you maintain your youthful looks, is to brush up on your oral hygiene.”

A young appearance isn’t the only advantage of a white smile. Oral B found that most survey respondents (80 percent) believed that job-seekers with attractive smiles were more likely to land a chosen career. A similar percentage suspected that people with good teeth would earn more money than those with bad ones.

Interesting stuff, right? If you want whiter teeth, we can help.