This blog has been a lot of the reasons why taking care of your teeth is essential for your overall health. Smiling. It feels good and looks great but did you know it could actually increase your lifespan and do everything from making you more attractive to help you land that promotion?
Of course, you can smile and laugh no matter what your teeth look like, but you’re more likely to do it if you know that you have a smile worth showing off. You’ll get a big boost of self-confidence, and some other significant physical and mental benefits.
Here are a just a few fun facts about smiling and laughing and why it’s so great to smile:
#1 Smiling Helps You Live Longer:
Smiling has many benefits, not the least of which is that smiling can actually help us live longer.
People who smile more often are generally happier and, since smiling can decrease blood pressure and release endorphins, it’s a great way to boost health and protect your golden years.
#2 Improved Mood, Increased Relaxation:
When you are in a bad mood, the last thing you feel like doing is smiling or laughing. But did you know that faking it can help improve your mood? Just the act of curling your lips into a smile or letting out a small giggle is enough to trigger your brain into feeling happier.
That sounds like something that’s too good to be true, but studies show that it does in fact happen. Try it the next time you are feeling angry or sad and see what happens. It might feel weird at first, but it could turn into a long-term coping strategy for when those feelings arise.
Those effects are even further amplified when you turn that smile into a full-blown laugh. Laughing stimulates circulation and helps your muscles relax. Those positive effects are felt for up to 45 minutes after the laugh ends.
#3 Smiling Boosts The Immune System:
In addition to making you look more attractive, successful and approachable, smiling and laughter may also protect you from the common cold. According to recent data, smiling can help boost the immune system by decreasing stress levels, which in turn increases white blood cell count and releases beneficial antibodies that help fight infection and disease.
#4 You Become More Approachable:
Not only will you help yourself feel better when you smile and laugh, but you’ll also give the signal to others that you’re a right person to be around. You probably don’t want to be around other people when they are in a bad mood, so why would you expect anyone to want to be around you when you are in a bad mood?
The more you can engage and interact with others, the happier you’ll be. It’s a cycle that’s worth getting into. Smiles and laughter are contagious — whenever you see someone else doing it, you can’t help but do the same. You can thank your mirror neurons for that. Whenever we look at someone doing specific behaviors, we feel inclined to do the same.
Sharing a laugh with others also helps you deepen your bond with them and makes you more likely to share information and have a healthy long-term relationship.
#5 Physical Benefits: Smiling Can Make You Happier
Putting all of the scientific research aside, the best reason to do more smiling and laughing is that it makes you feel good. We should all strive to spend time doing things that make us feel that way, and that begins with smiling and laughing.
If you’re having a bad day, force yourself to smile. Research suggests that the act of smiling can actually trick the brain into feeling happier, no matter how bad the current situation may be. While smiling certainly doesn’t fix all problems, it certainly has the power to make us feel just a little better at any given moment.
Whether your teeth look the way you want them to or not, everyone can benefit from a happier life. Don’t let the state of your teeth get in the way of that.
Call us today to help you with your smile!