You immediately feel better when you see someone smiling, or when you smile yourself. But do you know the reason behind that feeling? “The power of the smile” is not just a catch phrase, but is a real life, scientifically proven fact. Not only that, but smiling can actually make your life better.
A number of studies were conducted to show how smiles affect people’s lifestyles, and they proved without a shadow of a doubt that people with great smiles have better marriages, better job opportunities, and become overall happier.
In fact, this phenomenon became so popular that it was dubbed the “halo effect”. So, back to the science, what does smiling do for you on a bodily level? And how can you get the maximum outcome from that effect?
What Does Smiling Do To The Brain?
The brain is like a large electric conductor. It is full of neurons, firing on all cylinders to deliver messages to your body to make it do various movements, and sustain your life by making the heart pump, the lungs take in Oxygen.. etc. Brain activity is controlled by a bunch of chemicals and hormones.
The chemicals responsible for the feeling of relaxation and happiness are known as Endorphins (and to a lesser extent Dopamine and Serotonin). When you smile, your brain automatically releases a larger amount of endorphins than usual. So the brain becomes flooded with these “happiness chemicals” and you start to feel relaxed and happy.
What Are The Benefits Of Smiling?
Stemming from the fact that smiling physically makes you more relaxed, scientists started to research what else can a smile do, and they came up with some interesting facts such as:
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Smiling relieves pain:
In addition to being the “happiness chemical”, endorphins are also natural pain killers. So a smile is equivalent to a bunch of over the counter pain meds that your body can produce naturally and safely.
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Smiling lowers blood pressure:
When you laugh, your heart pumps quicker and delivers more Oxygen to the tissues. After that initial burst, the heart muscle relaxes and therefore the blood pressure is lowered for a while.
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Smiling relieves stress:
In the same manner as before, when Endorphins are released, they are immediately followed by a reduction in adrenaline and all other stress hormones. With the lowered blood pressure and reduced heart rate, you would start feeling a lot less stressed.
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Smiling makes you look younger:
Do you know how many muscles are used in smiling? 43!! Most of these are in the face, and they are the same muscles that control your facial appearance. Young muscles are taut and strong, and therefore no skin wrinkles show over them. When you smile, you are actively working those muscles, keeping them young and healthy. A smiling person usually has very few wrinkles and therefore looks a lot younger than they are.
What Does Smiling Do For You And Your Lifestyle?
We touched on that earlier. The “Halo effect” is now well beyond myth and definitely into the realm of reality. On a business level, smiling was proven to get you better job opportunities, making you perform better in interviews, and even be more friendly and productive with your co-workers. On a personal level, people with great smiles are deemed friendlier and more trustworthy than others, and so are more likely to have better relationships, better marriages, and are even more credible witnesses in trials!
So Why Doesn’t Everyone Smile More?
Life can be hard and stressful, and a lot of people don’t really have much to smile about. But there is more to that story, and that is not the only reason for the lack of smiling. A lot of people don’t smile because they are embarrassed by their smiles.
People who have missing teeth, stained teeth, crooked teeth, or any other problems with their smile usually refrain from smiling in front of others, and that is where we can be of service.
How Can You Get A Great Smile?
Now that you know what does smiling do for you, it is time to learn how to get a perfect smile. The first step towards a beautiful smile is wanting one. Fixing your teeth and smile is no easy task, and requires a lot of motivation to achieve great results. Once you decided to get a perfect smile, here are some options according to your case:
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Teeth cleaning and stains removal:
Your problem may be as simple as some stains that can be removed with a brush. The regular cleaning session that you go through about every 6 months should take care of that problem.
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Whitening:
A procedure that has been receiving a lot of attention over the past few years. Whiter means prettier when it comes to teeth, and a one hour whitening session can do miracles for your smile.
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Veneers:
The epitome of cosmetic dentistry. Veneers are shell-like porcelain structures placed on the outer surface of the teeth. They fix the color, shape, arrangement, and pretty much every other problem with the teeth’s appearance.
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Braces:
This may shock you, but putting on braces is a cosmetic procedure. Braces can fix all problems related to teeth arrangement, such as crowding, gapped teeth, overbites, jaw size mismatch among others.
How Do I Know If I Need Braces?
Braces are designed to fix problems with how your teeth are arranged. So if you see your teeth as being mal-aligned or out of order, then braces may be the answer for you. This includes crowded teeth, crooked teeth, gapped teeth, overbites, underbites, different sizes of the jaws, and even missing teeth. If you are still unsure, then your dentist or orthodontist can help you make the right choice.
You asked what does smiling do for you, and now you know. If you are in search of a perfect smile, Dr. Anthony Farrow and the team at Farrow Orthodontics are the smile experts.
We are happy to answer any questions pertaining to braces, clear braces, Invisalign, or Invisalign Teen in Philadelphia PA, Mt. Airy PA 19150, Center City PA 19102, and the surrounding areas of Philadelphia County, PA. If you would like to schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Anthony Farrow, please contact Farrow Orthodontics at Center City: 215-569-9060 | Mt. Airy: 215-247-9060.