A wide smile on your face is the most beautiful fashion accessory on any person and a universal language of happiness.
Even if it is not aesthetically perfect, a smile brings numerous benefits such as improved interpersonal relationships, better mental health, and even a longer lifespan!
In this week’s blog of Dental Center 4Smile, find out all the benefits a smile brings to your mental and general health, your surroundings, and even how a smile can help you overcome fear of visiting the dentist!
BENEFITS OF A SMILE FOR MENTAL HEALTH
A SMILE IMPROVES YOUR MOOD
Sometimes a smile is the result of a good mood, and sometimes the smile itself can be the cause of a good mood.
Did you know that even a “fake” smile has a positive effect on mental and general health?
You can use a fake smile when you are feeling down to lift your spirits.
Genuine smiles use more muscles than fake ones and are recognizable because they involve the muscles around the eyes.
People are able to recognize the sincerity of a smile, and it is precisely this complete synchronization of facial muscles when you smile that makes a difference in how others perceive you.
Whether fake or genuine, when you smile your body releases three different hormones: dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin.
These hormones “trick” your body into feeling happier, and low levels of these hormones are associated with depression.
Even when going to the dentist, it is important to adopt a positive attitude and not be depressed.
Although your dentist Ivan Antolković will ensure that even the smallest dental procedure is completely painless, a bad mood can affect your perception of pain.
Research has shown that if you frown during unpleasant procedures, you are more likely to perceive more pain than if you have a relaxed facial expression.
It is also interesting that endorphins released by smiling act as a natural painkiller.
A SMILE INCREASES ATTENTION
Stress limits our perception and thereby narrows our attention.
When faced with stress, the body activates a defensive mode in which we can focus on only one thing.
Laughter counters this and broadens our attention, reopening our perception to multiple tasks and insights that come from the edges of our subconscious.
For example, your visit to the dentist will be less stressful if you are not focused solely on fear. We advise you to relax and broaden your attention to everything around you, because you will realize that it is not as scary as you imagined, and your visit will certainly be more pleasant.
A SMILE BUILDS ATTRACTIVENESS
A smile makes people more attractive, and this is especially true for women.
Men more often approach a woman who is smiling than one who merely makes eye contact, while women are not necessarily attracted by a smile alone.
Still, we believe that a beautiful white smile always inspires admiration from both genders.
Dentist Ivan Antolković will make sure that, with teeth whitening, aesthetic dental veneers, and other necessary procedures tailored to your individual case, your smile becomes perfect in just a few visits to Dental Center 4Smile.
BENEFITS OF A SMILE FOR GENERAL HEALTH
A SMILE REDUCES STRESS LEVELS AND EXTENDS LIFESPAN
By smiling, we reduce stress, which is a common problem in the modern world and the cause of countless health issues.
Some studies have shown that smiling people live about 7 years longer than most.
So, by smiling a little more during the day, you can significantly improve your daily life and extend your lifespan!
A SMILE REDUCES HEART RATE AND TEMPORARILY LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE
Laughter slows the heart rate and relaxes the body, allowing the heart to work without overload.
People who laugh often have a lower risk of developing heart disease.
It is also interesting that smiling relaxes your muscles and increases blood circulation.
A SMILE STRENGTHENS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
The good feeling you get when you smile triggers a chemical reaction in the brain that releases small proteins called neuropeptides.
These small molecules maintain immune tolerance and can help fight potentially serious diseases.
Smiling also helps the body relax, which allows the immune system to respond more quickly and effectively to attackers.
A SMILE REDUCES PAIN
Endorphins released when you smile can temporarily reduce bodily pain or minor aches.
Over time, increased laughter can raise your pain threshold and help you build greater tolerance to pain.
A smile helps our health, but it is also important that the smile itself is healthy.
Dental health is linked to overall health, and untreated dental diseases can endanger the heart and cardiovascular system and even cause the development of more serious malignant diseases.
Therefore, it is extremely important that your teeth are healthy, as this eliminates the possibility that diseases of the teeth and gums become the cause of health problems and ensures that your smile brings maximum benefits.
BENEFITS OF A SMILE FOR YOUR SURROUNDINGS
You surely know at least one person who has a contagious laugh, but did you know that a smile itself is contagious?
Research has shown that the part of the brain responsible for facial expressions when we smile in happiness or imitate someone else’s smile is located in the unconscious area of automatic response.
So, if you smile at someone, it is very likely they will smile back at you!
A SMILE INCREASES EFFECTIVENESS IN THE WORKPLACE
In addition to benefits for well-being, smiles and happiness have strong and positive causal effects on productivity.
Positive emotions empower people, while negative emotions have the opposite effect.
Some studies have shown that decision-making, data processing, and learning are linked to the release of dopamine triggered by happiness, meaning that a smile can make us more creative and efficient workers.
Interestingly, people who smile in a business environment usually earn more money through tips and raises.
They are also more approachable with business ideas and are offered advancement more easily.
A SMILE IMPROVES RELATIONSHIPS
Trust is an important part of social health when working with people, whether loved ones or simple acquaintances.
Research shows that we trust others more when they smile and smile sincerely.
Your dentist Ivan Antolković is ready to build trust with you through a smile, a relaxed atmosphere, and professional work.
Finally, we bring you a few more interesting facts about smiles:
FUN FACTS ABOUT SMILING
– Research into body language and gestures across different cultures has shown that even in isolated cultures, a smile is considered a universal sign of happiness!
– A smile is the facial expression that can be recognized from the greatest distance compared to others!
– There are 19 different types of smiles!
– Women smile more than men, and children smile about ten times more than adults!
– Frowning requires the use of more facial muscles than smiling!
– Almost 50% of people return a smile!
– Studies show that smiling faces look on average about 3 years younger!
– It is recommended to smile at least 20–30 times a day!
– The animals that smile most often are great apes such as chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, and gorillas.
– A rat’s smile sounds like chirping, and a dolphin’s smile ends with a whistle!
– Sometimes a dog’s panting is actually the sound of their laughter!
The staff of Dental Center 4Smile are eager to share their smiles with their patients so that you feel at home, and dentist Ivan Antolković will make sure you receive a healthy and enviably radiant smile.
So come for a free check-up at our clinic, and let’s start the journey to a smile together!
