Did you know that the average person smiles approximately 20 times a day but a happy person will smile around 40-50 times a day? It seems like such a simple thing, but smiles have the ability the boost and assist almost every situation and circumstance you come into contact with throughout the day.
Here at Dr. Larry Saylor’s dental practice in Brandon, we want to share with you the benefits smiling can have for you and the people around you. We also understand that some people are just not confident about sharing their smile; we have added in some helpful treatments that you could benefit from to help boost their morale, because a beautiful genuine smile often means a happier you.
So why it is important to smile?
When we are happy, we tend to express it with our smile! As a natural reaction of positive emotions, a smile has a heap of benefits both physical and mental. Your brain keeps track of your smiles too, it knows how often you smile and will determine your overall emotional composure as a result. Take a look to see how we want to help you improve your day with the following reasons to smile more often.
#1 they naturally release endorphins
When you experience a positive situation, neuronal signals travel from the cortex of your brain to the brainstem then via the cranial muscles, the signal is received by the facial muscles – creating a smile. When you are genuinely expressing the emotion of happiness, the brain produces endorphins. These are hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system that cause an analgesic effect and provide people with a bit of a boost in morale.
#2 they reduce stress levels
Cracking smiles counteract the body’s reactions to stress when our perceptions and attentions become limited. Being stressed compels people to lock down into fight mode and smiling allows the air to clear – enhancing our ability to depressurize the workload and solely commit our attention to the task at hand.
#3 they boost chances of success
Smiling is known to improve productivity while performing tasks. We have all experienced a day at work where someone has walked in dragging all their home problems and relationship dramas with them! This kind of attitude has the ability to easily drop the spirits of fellow colleagues. In situations like these, a smile has the aptitude to motivate people to work more efficiently and boost the morale of the office.
#4 they can make you look younger and live longer
A smile offers a natural lift to the face. With full set of pearly whites, a smile helps the wearer look younger and happier. As it reduces stress and the risk of detrimental health disorders, it not only gives you the chance to look younger but offers people the chance for longer, healthier lives.
#5 they are contagious!
A genuine smile not only will improve your day, but it can improve the day of those around you. There’s a 50% chance that the next smile you direct at someone will be returned in kind. The more you smile the better you feel, the longer you live, and the more likely you are to de-stress and succeed.
But what if you don’t like your smile?
Unfortunately for some, a smile can be accompanied with the feeling of self-conciseness and in this sense, has the ability to be detrimental to patient’s overall wellbeing. Dr. Larry Taylor and his team want to make sure that everyone has the chance to achieve 40-50 smiles per day without being dragged down from lacking self-esteem. Here are a handful of treatment options that you may find helpful to restoring or reshaping your smile:
- Restorations: where the patient is unhappy because of tooth loss or decay – dental implants, fillings, and crowns could be just the beneficial treatments you need to fill any gaps or decayed teeth and restore your oral health.
- Cosmetic solutions: where the patient is suffering from misaligned teeth, discoloured, badly shaped or other appearance issues – Invisalign offers a virtually invisible orthodontic solution; tooth whitening can enhance stained or discoloured teeth; and porcelain veneers or lumineers are able to transform the patient’s smile entirely.