MOUTH BODY CONNECTION
Smile Forward - Why Smiling is Good for You and Others
7 min readReviewed By : Charles Rodgers, DDS
Published: Oct 01, 2021
Correlation Between Smiling and Your Mood
How Does Smiling Impact Your Mental Health and Confidence?
- Dopamine - Sometimes called the “pleasure chemical,” is part of your brain’s reward system. It’s released when you do something enjoyable and helps you feel pleasure. Dopamine also plays a role in your mood: Low levels of this chemical have been linked to depression.
- Serotonin - A smile may trigger serotonin happiness. How does serotonin make you happy? It may contribute to feelings of euphoria (like the well-known “runner’s high). Other serotonin benefits include helping fend off depression.
- Endorphins - another chemical that can make you happy. Endorphins have been called the “body’s natural painkillers.” So how do endorphins make you happy? These chemicals mimic the actions of morphine and can both relieve pain and improve your mood.
Smiling is Contagious
Paying it Forward and Creating a Ripple Effect
Top Benefits of Smiling
The Power of Smile: Top Ten Health Benefits
- Smiling may help you feel less stressed. It turns out there’s some science behind the adage “grin and bear it.” One study suggested that people who smile during stress-inducing activities experience a less intense stress response, including a lower heart rate.
- Smiling may improve your mood. Smiling and laughing can boost your mood in the long run. It can help improve your self-esteem and even help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
- Smiling may improve your immune system. The positive thoughts you feel when you smile and laugh may trigger the release of neuropeptides. These chemical messengers may help your body fight off stress and illnesses.
- Smiling may reduce pain. The brain’s release of endorphins reduces pain. In one study, people who smiled while receiving an injection reported about 40% less pain than people who held neutral expressions.
- Smiling may improve your memory. One study found that older adults performed better on a memory assessment after watching a funny video. Humor, with its associated smiles and laughs, could improve memory by reducing stress.
- Smiling may improve your relationships. Smiling and laughter may help strengthen social bonds. In addition, research has linked strong relationships to various health benefits, including better mental health and a longer lifespan.
- Smiling may make exercise feel easier. For example, cycling on a stationary bike with a smile feels easier than cycling with a frown, according to a 2012 study. That means exercising with a smile may help you push yourself and reach your fitness goals.
- Smiling may help you lose weight. While it’s no substitute for diet and exercise, a smile may support your weight loss efforts. That’s because smiling and laughing may help reduce cortisol, a stress hormone that’s been linked to weight gain.
- Smiling may lower your blood pressure. Is laughing good for your heart? It could be. The endorphins your brain releases when you smile or laugh may help relax your body. This could help lower your blood pressure and improve your heart health.
- Smiling may help you live longer. People who smile and laugh often may enjoy longer lives compared to those that don’t. For example, a large Norwegian study reported that women with a strong sense of humor had a lower risk of death from all causes.
Easy Tips for Taking Care of Your Smile
- Brush your teeth twice per day. Using a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, brush your teeth twice per day. Thorough brushing takes about two minutes. For the proper brushing technique, hold your brush at a 45-degree angle to your gums. Then, brush back and forth in short, gentle strokes.
- Floss your teeth daily. Your toothbrush’s bristles can’t reach between your teeth and under your gum line. To clean these hard-to-reach areas, floss your teeth once per day. Use a gentle, rubbing motion, and take care not to snap the floss against your gums.
- Avoid teeth-staining foods and drinks. Some foods and drinks have darker pigments that can leave stains on your teeth. Consider avoiding or limiting coffee, red wine, berries, curry, tomato sauce, and other deeply colored foods and drinks for a confident smile.
- Avoid tobacco. If you use tobacco, consider quitting. The chemicals in tobacco may leave stubborn stains on your teeth. Nicotine can leave yellowish stains on your teeth, while tar can leave dark stains.
- Avoid clenching and grinding. Clenching and grinding your teeth may wear down your tooth enamel, leaving your teeth looking short and flattened. This habit could also chip or break your teeth. If you notice you clench and grind your teeth, see your dentist.
- Wear a sports mouthguard. If you take part in team sports, consider protecting your smile with a sports mouthguard. By cushioning blows from wayward sticks, balls, or even elbows, a mouthguard may help you prevent chipped or broken teeth.
- See your dentist regularly. To maintain healthy teeth, it’s important to see your dentist regularly for your teeth cleaning. At these visits, you may receive professional teeth cleaning. This thorough cleaning may help remove stubborn surface stains, which can help you feel more confident showing off your smile.
The Importance of Maintaining Your Oral Health
Taking care of your teeth can help you enjoy the many health benefits of smiling, but there are also oral health benefits. A good at-home oral hygiene routine may help you prevent some oral health problems, such as cavities and gum disease. Looking after your teeth may have benefits for the rest of your body, as well. Poor oral health has been linked to many diseases, including heart disease and stroke.
Use the Smile Generation to search for a local dental office to maintain your oral health and learn how to smile more confidently. Now you know that if you’re ever feeling down or want to make others around you happy, all you have to do is show off those pearly white teeth and smile. Pay it Forward with a smile. Smile Forward 🙂
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Smile Generation blog articles are reviewed by a licensed dental professional before publishing. However, we present this information for educational purposes only with the intent to promote readers’ understanding of oral health and oral healthcare treatment options and technology. We do not intend for our blog content to substitute for professional dental care and clinical advice, diagnosis, or treatment planning provided by a licensed dental professional. Smile Generation always recommends seeking the advice of a dentist, physician, or other licensed healthcare professional for a dental or medical condition or treatment.