Why Smiling Is Good For You

We smile naturally, but there are also many hidden benefits when we do….

What is a smile? One definition is a ‘pleased facial expression with the corners of the mouth turned up and the front teeth exposed’. This seems an accurate description and it is worth noting the exposure of the front teeth in it, but more of that later. We probably don’t think about it too much when we do smile and some of us will have more reason to do so than others; but smiling more can have a positive impact on many areas of our lives and we will take a look at some of these in today’s Alexandra Dental Care Blog.

Improvement in mood and sense of wellbeing

Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins which can improve our mood. It could be argued that unless we were in a good mood, we wouldn’t smile but some therapists do recommend that you smile, even if it feels artificial when you do so. This in turn, they say, can improve your mood and you will find yourself smiling more naturally and more frequently.

Relief of pain

Endorphins also act as one of nature’s painkillers. Although it may not relieve serious pain, it might be enough for those minor aches and niggles that we often get as we get older. The cause of the laughter that releases the endorphins may also act as a distraction from any discomfort as well.

Improves blood pressure

Studies have shown that when we laugh and smile, we take in more oxygen and increase our heart rate. As this subsides, it produces lower blood pressure as the muscles relax. High blood pressure can be dangerous and is more common these days with our more sedentary lifestyle. Whilst medications are available, if you can reduce your blood pressure through other techniques, including smiling, this can only be a good thing.

Relationship benefits

If you are dating, an attractive smile can go a long way to improving how others see you. Many studies have found that we make initial judgments about people in the first few seconds of meeting. An attractive smile is likely to get you off to a positive start. Even friendships can benefit too. As the saying goes ‘laugh and the whole world laughs with you. Cry, and you cry alone’.

A more youthful appearance

There is little doubt that if we smile a lot, people will tend to think that we are younger than we are, whereas, if we frown or look miserable a lot of the time, it will have the opposite effect. Some claim that smiling improves the facial muscles and helps to avoid the problem of ‘sagging cheeks’ although our Burton and Ashby patients might also be pleased to know that this can sometimes be corrected through the use of the facial aesthetic treatments that we have available.

How to achieve a better looking smile

If we are happy naturally, then smiling will come easily to us. If we are less so, we might have to ‘teach’ ourselves to do it more frequently. One thing that can play a significant part in this is the appearance of the front teeth that are exposed when we smile. Presuming that we have no missing teeth, there are three main potential problems that we might have with our front teeth. These can be corrected through the use of the cosmetic dental treatments that we have at Alexandra Dental Care.

Discoloured teeth

This is a common problem and can be caused by staining or simply the process of ageing, where our teeth start to yellow in colour. In most cases, this can be improved through the use of a non-invasive teeth whitening procedure that can improve the whiteness by several shades. Where staining or discolouration is more severe, porcelain veneers may be used instead.

Crooked teeth

Even a small correction in the alignment of your teeth can make a significant improvement in your smile. Minor corrections can be made using one of our faster acting orthodontics such as the Inman Aligner or Six Month Smile. More significant correction may take longer and Invisalign is a popular system where this is required.

Cracked and chipped teeth

Whilst composite bonding can be used for this purpose in some cases, it is likely to last for a shorter period of time than dental veneers which can last for ten years or more. Some bonding materials can be slightly porous and can therefore stain more easily, whilst our porcelain veneers are stain resistant.

As the weather starts to (hopefully) warm up and lockdown (again, hopefully) eases, we are likely to start mixing with both friends and strangers a lot more. Some of these meetings may result in new friendships or even relationships, so it makes sense to have the best smile that you can.

If you live in the Burton, Swadlincote or Ashby area and would like to find out what we can do to help you improve your smile, we invite you to call Alexandra Dental Care on 01283 216347. We look forward to seeing you!

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