With National Smile Month running from 15th May to 15th June, we pose the question – and answer it!
At 543 Dental Centre, we’re all about smiles. Smiles when you walk in the door and smiles, hopefully, as you leave. But just what are smiles, anyway, and why are they important?
How a smile is formed
A smile is, biologically speaking, the act of flexing facial muscles at the side of the mouth, often accompanied by the scrunching of the eyes. It’s an expression that is millions of years old and not limited to humans as it’s even seen in apes, who smile to let each other know they mean no harm. That sort of friendly message is usually what smiles mean to humans too, but not always.
Disney asserts that “a smile means friendship to everyone” – but does it really?
Surprisingly not! While most cultures recognise smiles as signs of positive emotion, several use smiles to indicate embarrassment, pain or fear. Yet others reserve smiles for close friends and family and are suspicious of smiling strangers.
Does ‘smile therapy’ actually work?
You may have heard of this and thought it sounded odd, but it’s been scientifically proven that holding your face in a smiling position does positively change the way you feel. How does it work?
- The contraction of your ‘smiling muscles’ releases endorphins, natural pain relievers, and serotonin, a natural mood-boosting chemical.
- As smiling helps you relax, it boosts your immune system.
- Your blood pressure also goes down when you smile.
- When you smile you send a signal to your brain that makes you feel less stressed.
- Smiling makes those around you feel happier too and respond more positively towards you.
- Smiling will light up your face and make you more attractive.
Don’t hide your smile!
Sadly, many of us actively try not to smile because we don’t like the way our smile looks. This is usually due to stained, crooked or missing teeth.
If this is the case for you, stop hiding your smile and call us – we can help. Modern dentistry has many options that can help address these issues. Book a consultation and we’ll work with your schedule and budget to find the right solution for you. After all, when we make you smile, we smile too!
