Smiling Makes You Happier

Scientist Andrew Newberg suggests that the smile is “the symbol that is rated with the highest positive emotional content.” So, what does that mean for you? That your mom or aunt or you grade school teacher who always told you to “smile because it’ll make you feel better” was right. Today scientific research actually indicates that smiling does make you happier, and it even seems to suggest that the better your smile is, the happier you will be. While that seems hard to believe, it’s true, and here is how you can work on your smile (and your attitude) at the same time.
The pleasure-inducing results of a smile aren’t necessarily as simple as you might think. For example, let’s say you experience a positive situation. When you encounter the experience, neuronal signals travel from your brain’s cortex to the brain-stem. Shortly following, the cranial muscle carries the signal towards the smiling muscles on your face. As you smile, though, it triggers a positive feedback loop that moves back to your brain and reinforces your happy feeling. In all reality, smiling reduces stress, increases our feelings of joy, and improves our overall health.
But, what if you don’t like your smile? Well, you brain can actually sense if a smile is fake or genuine, which means that if you’re constantly covering up or hiding your smile, you’ll not get the same health benefits. If you’re concerned with the appearance of your smile, it might be time to consider a smile makeover to improve your smile (and your health). While a smile makeover may seem drastic, there a few different things you can do to improve your smile that are guaranteed to make you feel even happier.
1. Practice Proper Hygiene
Keeping your teeth clean is an important component of a happy, healthy smile. Brush at least twice a day, and floss at least once a day. Also visit your hygienist for a regular cleaning.
2. Give Up Bad Habits
Things like smoking and chewing tobacco have a drastic effect on your teeth. If you want to enhance your smile, cut these bad habits.
3. Limit Your Coffee, Tea, and Soda
Dark drinks like coffee and tea can stain your teeth. Limit your intake of these beverages and be sure to at least rinse your mouth with clean water after consuming them.
4. Consider
If you’re unhappy with your smile because of the actual alignment of your teeth, consider getting braces. At Cosmetic Dental Associats, it’s our top priority to help you improve your smile and increase your confidence, and Invasaline can definitely help with that.
Stop letting your smile hold you back and let us ——help you today. Remember smiling really does make you happier, and an improved smile certainly doesn’t hurt.