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Adult braces is a continuously growing trend since the demand for it spiked almost a decade ago. It’s no longer that uncommon to find people in their 30s and even 40s wearing braces, although most of them choose Invisalign or more discreet options to the traditional metal braces. Many of them also get cosmetic dentistry services such as teeth whitening, porcelain veneers or even a full mouth rejuvenation.
The popularity of cosmetic dentistry can largely be credited to the rising awareness of the importance of having a great smile. Good-looking, healthy teeth do not only create a more attractive physical appearance. It impacts a person in a variety of other ways.
Listed below are five other benefits of a healthy and pretty smile. All of these benefits start with the fact that people who have a nice smile break into one more often, hence, all the enumerated advantages.
1. It can further improve your health
The mere act of flashing your teeth to grin can stimulate the release of endorphins from the brain, a.k.a. the “happy hormones.” A healthy amount of endorphins in your system can boost your immunity. These brain chemicals are known to neutralize stress hormones as well as reduce the brain’s perception of pain.
It is worth mentioning as well that smiling confidently can lower the heart rate, especially after completing a challenging task. Most people suffer from high blood pressure after doing something taxing. However, those who smile easily regulate their heart rate and restore their energy.
You will find yourself less shy in presenting yourself to other people when you don’t worry about the appearance and overall condition of your teeth. You can easily tap into the power of a smile in disarming people. For instance, you can use it as a way of dealing with awkward circumstances.
A smile is often a good enough answer to those queries that put you in a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation. Your smile has its own meaning to you, but to others, it’s completely open to interpretation. It’s definitely a better non-verbal answer than an expressionless face.
In addition to that, a sincere smile can impact the way people perceive you. Do you know that men and women are more attracted to people who make eye contact and smile easily? This was discovered by a research conducted at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
Therefore, if you’re looking for a mate in life or you are in search of new friends, you can increase your chances of connecting with the personalities you like by simply smiling at them.
3. It can trigger the brain’s reward mechanism
It brings you more joy in life. In fact, even just the act of faking a smile can counteract a sour mood and stress – both yours and other people’s.
Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist was absolutely right when he said, “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”
4. It can make you feel more youthful
There’s a very big difference between smile lines and frown lines.
The lines created on the face due to smiling tend to have an upward direction. When you see these lines, you do not think that you’re tired and old. Rather, you’re a person who had and continues to have a lot of fun in life.
Meanwhile, frown lines drag the face and your feelings down.
5. It can make you eligible for certain job positions
Any job that involves public relations needs someone who has an engaging smile. So, if you’re interested in a career in that field, you can secure your advantage by having a healthy and pretty set of teeth that will allow you to smile with great confidence.
It is said that on average, people smile only 20 times a day. Meanwhile, those with dental issues smile even less. After learning all the great benefits of a smile, you now have more reasons to smile more. Those with healthy teeth can just train themselves to do so.
As for those who lack confidence in their smile because of the condition of their teeth, there are different dental treatments to turn teeth from problematic to beautifully healthy. Invest in these treatments despite the cost because if you are not smiling due to your teeth, you are actually depriving yourself of a better quality of life.
About The Author:
Dr. Michael Letham is the owner and dentist at 24/7 Dental and Bayside Smiles. He graduated from Sydney University in 2000 with Honours, receiving the R Morse Withycombe Prize for Proficiency in Clinical Periodontics (gum treatment). Striving to provide a modern, holistic approach to dental care that is tailored to each individual’s requirements, Mike’s focus is on being thorough and meticulous whilst being caring and compassionate.
