That’s me. Smiling. What am I smiling about? It could be my dog sitting and wagging his tail while farting, any scene with ‘Bubbles’ from “The Trailer Park Boys,” or driving up to the toll booth to find the attendant has gone on a break and I don’t have to pay! Those are all things that make me smile and put me in a good mood.
What Makes YOU Smile?
Your face has 44 muscles that allow you to make over 5,000 different types of expressions, and smiling is just one natural response that communicates and shares our happiness with others.
- The ‘Domino Effect’
Smiling can just make you plain, old, happy! The act of smiling sends a message to the brain that you’re happy, and when you’re happy, you produce feel-good endorphins – basically a house party is happening in your brain. And unlike a cold sore or chicken pox, a smile is the good kind of contagious. If you’ve ever been around someone that has just received some fantastic news; they got the job, won the jackpot, got a marriage proposal, it’s almost impossible not to feel good too. Unless of course, you’re the person sitting next to the guy whose slot machine is spewing money all over the floor. - Live-Laugh-Love
You can’t turn around without seeing that phrase on someone’s wall or on a card. Cheeky as the saying is, it’s popular for a reason. A smile can make you look successful; it conveys confidence and professionalism. Smiling helps us to create social bonds and we’re simply drawn to people who smile. We want to know what’s funny, or why they’re smiling. A beautiful smile makes someone more attractive. Doesn’t everyone say they want to meet someone with “a good sense of humor”? Planting a smile on your face signals that you’re an outgoing person who’s worth getting to know. - Less Stress
We often wear our stress on our faces, so smiling can combat the look of appearing overwhelmed, tired and worn down. Smiling also reduces cortisol levels (that’s the stress hormone) and can give you a shot of energy. When you smile, there is actually a measurable drop in blood pressure. Your breathing increases when you smile (think about those gut grabbing belly laughs), so more oxygen flows through the body causing your blood pressure to lower. Stress hormones also decrease when you start smiling, triggering antibodies and immune cells to develop. And a boost in your immune cells means that your body is now super-charged to fend off things like a cold. - Power of Positive
The power of positive thinking can be quite amazing. Smiling when you feel less than happy can actually help put a genuine smile on your face. You can’t laugh without smiling and it’s really hard to keep a smile on your face while you think negative thoughts. Try it sometime.
If you find yourself wanting to hide your smile because you’re feeling self-conscious about your teeth, you could actually be holding yourself back in more ways than one. Take heart and come see us. Most dental problems can be easily fixed with a good treatment plan in place. We’re sure to have you smiling again in no time.
