A beautiful smile is a powerful personal asset. It represents happy feelings and helps us connect with others. Here are the top 3 reasons why you should smile often, as well as simple tips to care for your smile.
1. Smiling indicates positivity
Except for that evil grin, a smile generally indicates cheerfulness, optimism, and confidence. Smiling trains your brain to focus on the positive. Even when you feel down and out, smiling can help improve your mood by tricking your brain into looking at the bright side. Maybe that is why they say, “keep smiling”.
2. Smiling makes you more attractive
How long will you be able to interact with a person who frowns, smirks, rolls their eyes, or talks looking deadpan? Not for a long time, right? Alternatively, picture yourself talking to someone who expresses positive emotions and smiles often. Will you not be drawn to them? Yes, indeed! Smiling makes you look approachable and friendly, and makes others feel heard and accepted. We are not saying you should walk around smiling nonstop. However, remember to smile when you meet and greet people, and on appropriate occasions during a conversation.
3. Smile helps relieve stress
Beat stress by turning its frown upside down. Stress saps your energy and makes you look dull or grumpy. Do not let stress get the better of you. Fight back against it by practicing stress management techniques that include smiling as one of the ways to cope with stress. The release of neuropeptides and neurotransmitters (endorphins, dopamine, serotonin) when you smile may help boost your mood. Less stress also means better mental health and a healthier immune system.
How to care for your smile?
Following a few simple tips can help keep your smile bright and healthy.
- Maintain oral hygiene by brushing your teeth twice daily. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and clean your teeth well.
- Plaque build-up and bacterial growth are not limited to teeth. Brush the top of your tongue to keep your breath fresh.
- Floss your teeth regularly. If you have eaten something chewy or sugary, consider brushing your teeth and flossing within 20-30 minutes of eating such foods. It helps minimize plaque build-up and the growth of decay-causing bacteria. If brushing and flossing immediately are not possible, consider rinsing your mouth 10-12 times with water. Doing so helps get rid of the food particles stuck between your teeth and under the gum line.
- If you have stained, chipped, broken, or decayed teeth, seek treatment immediately. There’s an effective solution for every dental problem, e.g., Veneers treatment, teeth whitening, laser dentistry, etc. Some people delay visiting a dentist because their front teeth look perfect. They think less conspicuous dental issues do not affect their smile. However, it is not true. Leaving persisting or recurring dental issues untreated aggravates the problem and causes bad breath, pain, and inflammation, among other problems. Visit your dentist regularly to prevent oral health problems that can affect your smile.
- Choose dental restorations or braces that match the color of your natural teeth. Porcelain crowns, composite fillings, and invisible braces are a few options that ensure nothing looks strikingly odd when you smile with your corrective dental solutions on.