Smile Every Day to Improve Health and Well Being

A smile can change someone's life around, but how willing are you to give yours away?

You know it relays happiness and radiates joy, but did you know that a smile has actual health and wellness benefits? It's true!

Today, we're sharing a list of our top reasons why you should smile every day. Not quite as confident about yours as you'd like to be? We'll also share a few professional resources that will have you grinning from ear to ear in no time.

Ready to learn more? Let's get started!

Those neurotransmitters don't only affect your mood. As they travel around your body, you'll feel the benefits all over. Here are a few more reasons to smile today.

A Stronger Immune System

When our internal systems aren't as wound up, our immune system health improves.

Researchers in this field note that depression has a negative effect on your immune system while happiness (even the forced kind) has the opposite.

You wash your hands every day to keep the germs away, so why not make smiling a part of your routine, as well?

Lower Heart Rate and Blood Pressure

A smile reduces our body's response rate to stress. And all by itself a smile can make difficult situations easier to bear, but did you realize it could have physical benefits, as well?

The chemical effects of smiling lower your heart rate, along with your blood pressure. We tend to have spikes in both when we're faced with a challenging or uncomfortable situation. The next time you find yourself sweating bullets, try smiling to quiet your nerves.

Improved Longevity

Scientists conclude that happiness and a longer life go hand-in-han d.

Even if you're not in a cheery mood, you can fake it until you make it, and your brain won't know the difference! This is because, to your brain, a smile is a smile.

This is true whether it's a genuine one or a pretend one. So, even though you might not be in the mood, try to hold a smile for a few seconds. Even feigned happiness can improve your health to the extent that you'll add years to your life, making it well worth the effort.

Want proof? One study tracked the lives of professional baseball players from the 1952 season.

Analyzing their headshots, the researchers found that those smiling in their pictures lived an average of 79.9 years. Those who weren't smiling? They lived for 72.9 years.

A More Positive Outlook

Are you tired of the doom and gloom? Try a quick smile, even if you aren't in the mood.

We tend to associate this act with a happy feeling. That said, when our facial muscles engage in this way, we're able to adopt a more positive and hopeful outlook.

Those people who always seem to be in a great mood, all of the time? Chances are, they've perfected the art of the smile!

A More Aware Presence

Another simple way that smiling can transform your life? When your eyes are up and you're always ready with a real grin, you're more aware of your surroundings.

Smile at a stranger and improve both of your moods. Let one grow across your face when you see a gorgeous piece of architecture or a stunning nature scene. In other words, soak in your surroundings and a smile will be the natural output.

This makes it a much better choice than looking down at your feet all day!

Even when we're feeling kind and charitable, some of us can look like we're scowling when our face is in a resting position! Chalk it up to genetics, but the truth is that a smile can go a long way in making us appear more approachable.

According to a recent fMRI study , viewing attractive faces triggers our brain's orbitofrontal cortex. This is the region associated with perceiving rewards.

While this region lit up when patients viewed any pretty face, it was even stronger when the person in the picture was smiling. The takeaway? When we flash our pearly whites, we send a signal to the people around us that we're rewarding them!

Smiling and Personal Attractiveness

Another study found a correlation between smiling and attractiveness. Participants viewed a series of images of people. Each image was a set, with the person smiling on one side and not smiling on the other.

The researchers found that the viewers were more attracted to the images of people who were making eye contact and smiling.

One of the reasons for this correlation? When we're smiling, we appear more confident and in control.

This makes us more attractive to those around us, from potential mates to friends and family members. We're drawn to those who radiate positivity and want to be around that energy all the time!

Smiling and Success at Work

It's a simple fact that smiling people appear more likeable and courteous to strangers. Yet, what about more competent?

Some studies conclude that when we look anxious or sad, it can signal that we aren't sure what we're doing. On the other hand, grinning (even when we're overwhelmed) hints at success and competency.

This is known as the halo effect.

In short, when a stranger first meets you and notices one great thing about you, he's more willing to notice other great things about you as time progresses. Wow that HR manager with a shining smile at your interview, and chances are, she'll be more apt to pick up on your professionalism as well.

When you have a smile you feel great about, it can also boost your self-confidence and quality of life , giving you that extra edge over any corporate competition.

Then, when you land the job, you can rely on smiling to help you through even the toughest days. It can help you tackle burnout, fight fatigue and cruise through mounting deadlines. It also draws co-workers to you and helps you bring up the mood of your entire team.

Smiling and a More Youthful Appearance

It's an oft-repeated phrase that it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile.

While this is a nice thought, it's not exactly true.

Rather, science reveals that, on average, we use about 12 muscles to smile and 11 to frown. The good news? It's easier to smile than frown because we do it more often!

When we do engage those muscles, we lift our entire face up. This pulls tight any facial wrinkles and can contribute toward a more youthful appearance.

To test this conclusion, one study utilized 2,052 photographs, depicting the faces of 171 men who were young, middle-aged and older. They were demonstrating multiple expressions, ranging from angry to neutral.

Researchers asked 154 young, middle-aged and older adults to guess how old each man was. They guessed most accurately when presented with the neutral facial expressions, but underestimated the men's age by two years when they saw them smiling.

A Link Between Smiling and Trustworthiness

As noted, there are many positive social characteristics associated with smiling. Another is trustworthiness.

One recent study presented a group of participants with images of 45 women, each with either a low-intensity, medium-intensity or high-intensity smile. The results? The study group deemed those with the most intense smile as the most trustworthy.

Whether you're looking to find a potential partner, make a new friend or climb the ladder at work, you want to appear approachable and trustworthy. By smiling as often as you can, you'll help others associate you with an upbeat and positive demeanor.

When someone tells you that your smile can light up an entire room, believe it!

While we can force or fake a smile when we have to, there are other times you might feel one spread across your face automatically.

This is because the part of your brain that controls your natural smile is an unconscious response area. This means it happens without input from you, like your lower leg that swings up when the doctor taps your knee.

Have you ever noticed a smile on your face because someone near you was in a happy mood? That's the same automatic response system at work. When we mimic another person's smile, we often do so without thinking about it.

Thus, smiles truly are contagious and can have a chain reaction!

Facial Expressions and Perceived Aggression

In relation to the contagious nature of smiles, another study also found that when someone views another person who is smiling, pent-up feelings of aggression they once harbored can start to dissipate.

How is this possible?

Aggressive people are inclined by nature to take even a neutral facial expression as a sneer. This can lead to a combative response, even when provocation is not present. It's only when they see a genuine smile that they lower their anger levels.

The study proved this theory true, asking a group of aggressive teenagers from one youth program to interpret the expressions of computer-based facial images. While some faces stretched into an obvious smile, others were sneers and some were ambiguous.

Researchers told some of the teens that the ambiguous expressions were indeed happy ones, changing their perception of those people. In a follow-up test two weeks later, they noted that this group had lower overall anger and aggression levels than the others.

Now that you know all the many reasons to make smiling a part of your everyday routine, are you ready to get yours in top shape?

Depending on your personal goals, you might only need a few touch-ups. For instance, your teeth might be a little more yellow than you'd prefer, and you want to come in for a professional whitening treatment.

Or, you might keep your mouth closed in pictures because you're embarrassed about your cracked or chipped teeth. This is where bonding or veneers can make a major difference. The same goes for crooked teeth, which can benefit from a series of Invisalign treatments.

Before you start brainstorming ideas and thinking about your new appearance, come into our office for a smile makeover consultation, first.

We'll take a look at your teeth and gums, then sit down with you to discuss all of your options. Along the way, we'll also take into account other factors including your skin tone, face shape, hair color and more.

The result? You'll walk away with a custom plan for your dental care and smile transformation. We'll answer any questions you have and explain every procedure in detail so you know what to expect.

You don't have to radically adjust your life to feel and look your best. Nor do you have to perform an in-depth ritual every morning to start your day on the right foot.

You can brighten your day and the day of others around you by learning and applying the power of a smile. By making it a point to smile every day, you're doing a world of good for your mental, emotional and physical health.

Even on days when you'd rather hide your grin from the world and sulk, it's nice to know that if you can muster even a small smile, it can turn your bad day on its head.

If discolored, misshapen, or misaligned teeth are keeping your smile under wraps, we'd love to help. Contact us today to request a dental appointment. We'll give you plenty to smile about!