Smile! Just Don’t Show Your Teeth
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Today, I went to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to renew my driver’s license. As I posed for my picture, the woman taking the photo told me I could smile if I wanted to, but I couldn’t show my teeth.
Don’t Show Your Teeth
Thinking she didn’t want a close-up look at my dental work, I flashed my standard smile and let her take the picture.
After reviewing the picture, she said, “Oops, we have to take it again. You showed your teeth.”
So we tried again, with my mouth completely closed and barely cracking a smile—you know, the criminal mugshot pose.
“Perfect!” she said.
SEE ALSO: Amazon Knows My Tooth Brushing Habits
This Has Something to Do with Technology, Right?
Being a techie, I thought it would be evident why drivers are no longer allowed to show their teeth in their driver’s license photos. But it wasn’t.
So, I let curiosity get the best of me, and I posted this on Twitter:
What’s up with not being allowed to show your teeth when you smile for your driver’s license picture?
It didn’t take long to get the answer…
Facial recognition software. It gets messed up when you smile.
Followed by a few smart-alec responses (that I rather enjoyed)…
Because we haven’t figured out dental ID, so smile if you rob someplace.
Can’t smile ’cause it’s not fair to the dentally deprived who can’t. As well as those with maladjusted smiles. :-)
Did you not brush?
Can you stick your tongue out? instead?
Although I’m still not entirely clear why facial recognition software has problems with teeth, at least now I know the rest of the drivers in the state of Indiana will have the same criminal mugshot as me on their driver’s license.
