Nothing turns heads quite like a sparkling smile. Call us biased– you?re probably right– but the truth is, there are quite a few reasons why smiling is good for your health. A healthy set of teeth is hard to show off, and the more you smile, the better off you are. Here are four reasons to keep your set of teeth happy and healthy in order to reap the benefits of smiling more often.
1. Smiling boosts your mood
Your facial expressions don?t just express your mood- they actually have the power to influence your mood as well. Many studies have shown that by smiling, your brain responds by making the emotions you experience match the facial expression you?re sharing. As you smile, your mood will start to shift to the one you?re expressing to achieve homeostasis. The next time you feel down, notice your mood and thoughts become more positive when you show off your smile.
2. Smiling brings down your stress level
It may not seem natural to respond to stress with a smile, but research shows otherwise. A study completed in 2012 had half of the participants hold chopsticks in their mouth– causing them to unknowingly smile– while completing a stressful task. Those who had the chopsticks, smiling while completing the task, had a substantially lower heart rate and recovered more quickly from the stress than those who did not have the chopsticks forcing them to smile. Showing off a healthy smile readily can better prepare you to handle stressful situations.
3. Smiling increases productivity
The happier you feel, the more you get accomplished. A study completed by economists in 2010 found that a happy mood has a significant effect on productivity in the workplace and the happier workers felt, the more they accomplished while also reporting higher levels of energy. Since smiling sends signals to your brain that you are happy, the side effects of feeling happy are cultivated when you flash a smile.
4. Smiling boosts creativity
A smile can get you thinking your most creative thoughts. A study completed in 2013 at The University of California in San Francisco found that smiling triggers the body to release more dopamine. When more dopamine is released, we are able to learn, process, make decisions and think more effectively than when we are are fueled by negative thoughts. Boosting your mood can go a long way, and turning a frown into a smile can be the first step to triggering the positive boosts.
While our first priority at Krengel Dental is keeping your teeth healthy, we have noticed that with healthier teeth, our patients feel happier, more confident and reap the benefits of smiling more readily. By completing regular check ups and staying on top of the dental services we offer, we are sure we can help you gain all the health benefits that come from showing off your smile.
