Whether voluntary or involuntary, smiling is typically a great feeling. This simple gesture can go a long way when connecting with others and expressing your emotions. However, did you know that showing off your pearly whites has a demonstrably positive influence on your general wellbeing as well? Read on as your Center cosmetic dentist shares five surprising benefits of smiling you may not know about.
1.) Project Confidence & Success
It’s common knowledge that a friendly smile will make you seem more pleasant and personable than someone with a blank or sullen expression. However, studies show that smiling also consistently makes people appear to be more confident and successful as well. In fact, hiring managers and employers in mock interviews report that smiling can make someone appear to be a good job candidate.
2.) Boost Your Mood
People smile because they’re happy, but they’re also happy because they smile. Smiling triggers the release of feel-good chemicals in your brain, which foster sensations of contentment, relaxation, and happiness. This process occurs every time you smile, whether spontaneous or not, which means a simple smile can boost your mood even when you’re feeling upset.
3.) Recover from Stress
Some of the chemicals released when you smile are natural stress relievers. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal referenced a study that found that people who smiled after completing a stressful task experienced a faster heart rate reduction afterwards. What’s more, this decreases your blood pressure and encourages a healthy heart as well.
4.) Turn Back the Clock
Despite the risk of “laugh lines,” smiling seems to typically make a person look younger and healthier. Numerous studies have demonstrated that when smiling faces are compared to neutral ones, participants consistently vote smiling faces as looking younger, healthier, and more attractive.
5.) Strengthen Your Immune System
Laughter may not always be the best medicine, but it can play a key role in helping you fight off sicknesses! The Loma Linda University School of Medicine’s Department of Clinical Immunology discovered that laughter increases the number of white blood cells in the body, which are crucial for fighting off infection and boosting the immune system.
What Should I Do If I Don’t Like My Smile?
Unfortunately, you may be missing out on all the benefits of smiling if you’re embarrassed by how your teeth look. Thanks to todays modern dental techniques and technologies, achieving a beautiful set of pearly whites has never been easier! Metal-free restorations, cosmetic dental bonding, and teeth whitening are all excellent ways to revitalize or redesign the appearance of your smile.
There are plenty of reasons to smile, especially if your teeth are looking and feeling their best thanks to cosmetic dentistry. Call your Center dentist today to achieve a set of pearly whites you can’t wait to show off and start enjoying the benefits of smiling!
About the Practice
Dr. Thomas Youngblood and Dr. Mireya Martinez of Family Dental Center of East Texas are committed to helping smiles of all ages achieve optimal oral health. They each have extensive training and years of experience providing a wide range of services aimed to comfortably and quickly overcome a variety of oral health issues. They offer metal-free restorations, cosmetic dental bonding, in-office teeth whitening, and a variety of other services all under one roof so you and your loved ones can each get the unique care you deserve. To learn more about improving the appearance of your smile, they can be contacted via their website or at (936) 427-9070.