How Smiling Improves Your Health
Practicing excellent oral care is important for many reasons, not the least of which is to maintain your smile. Having healthy, beautiful teeth allows you to feel confident in your smile, which will encourage you to flash it more often.
Recent research has linked smiling to a variety of health benefits that you may find surprising. Explore our guide to learn how smiling can improve the overall quality of your life.
Improve Your Mood
In addition to making you look happy, smiling actually makes you feel happy too. This is because every time you smile, chemicals called endorphins are released in your brain that help you feel positive and relaxed. As a result, smiling can immediately elevate your mood.
Reduce Your Stress
Many of us struggle to deal with stress in our day-to-day lives. While it may sound silly, research has shown that smiling in a stressful situation can decrease your anxiety and lower your heart rate, even if you’re faking it. The next time you feel stressed, try to ease the tension with a smile.
Increase Your Confidence
It’s difficult to make new friends when you feel self-conscious about your smile. It impacts your ability to socialize and hurts your self-esteem in the process. But when you greet people with a friendly and confident smile, they’ll immediately find you more approachable. If you’re shy around strangers, a smile is all it takes to break the ice.
Extend Your Lifespan
Most people agree that smiling helps you look younger, but research shows that smiling more often can actually add years to your life. According to a study by Wayne University, people who smile frequently live an average of seven years longer than those who don’t. By helping you stay positive and relaxed, smiling can help you live a longer and happier life.
Smiling is Contagious
Beyond improving your own mood, smiling can lift the spirits of everyone you meet. This is due to facial mimicry, a natural reflex that causes people to subconsciously reflect your facial expression back at you. You can use this knowledge to spread happiness everywhere you go.
Visit Dr. Bauer for Smile Enhancement
If you’re unsatisfied with your smile, Dr. Bauer can transform your appearance with state-of-the-art dental implants. Whether you’re missing a single tooth or a full arch, he’ll find the ideal solution to restore health and beauty to your smile.
Call us today at (402) 519-2164 to schedule your consultation. You can also fill out our convenient appointment form and a member of our team will get right back to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the physical health benefits of smiling?
Every time you smile, it triggers your body to release cortisol and endorphins that are linked to numerous physical health benefits. Some of these include:
- Lower blood pressure
- Improved endurance
- Stronger immune system
- Reduced pain
- Lower heart rate
What are the mental health benefits of smiling?
According to research, smiling can improve your mental health in many different ways. Some of these benefits include:
- Improved optimism
- Reduced anxiety
- Increased confidence
- Social acceptance
- Better mood