Smiling is such a simple action, and most of us don’t even realise when we smile genuinely. It is usually a true expression of happiness, but we also smile for other reasons, such as appearing more likeable or polite, or simply to display our healthy smile. Sometimes we laugh when we feel fearful or are embarrassed.
Over the centuries, smiling has been extensively studied. It’s been discovered that while we can activate the muscles around the mouth that are involved with smiling at will, we cannot do the same for the muscles around our eyes. However, when we smile genuinely, both the muscles around our mouth and eyes are activated, so it’s impossible to fake. More recent research has discovered that smiling may be driven by social cues rather than pure happiness or enjoyment, but even when we are smiling when we don’t feel like it can prove beneficial.
The Benefits of Smiling
There are physiological and physical benefits of smiling, and it’s been shown that people who subconsciously or consciously smile can live a longer and more enjoyable life. One of the major benefits of smiling is that it makes you more approachable and, much like laughter is contagious. In addition, because it’s seen as a positive behaviour, it can help you form relationships more easily.
Another well-known benefit is that your body releases feel-good hormones, including endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine, when you smile. One UK study discovered that smiling stimulates the brain in a similar way to eating up to 2000 bars of chocolate, all without the negative effects on your oral health and waistline!
Smiling while at work can make you more productive, as well as make you feel more energetic. Consequently, these positive benefits may lead to faster promotion and a higher income, which can lead to increased happiness in life.
When you smile, it helps relieve stress, reducing your heart rate and blood pressure, so you feel more relaxed. The release of serotonin, endorphins and dopamine also helps improve your mood. In addition, smiling helps your health in other ways, especially if you laugh, as this stimulates your organs, helps increase your oxygen uptake, and stimulates other muscles, including your heart.
A genuine smile can help you appear more attractive and confident, improving your personal and professional life. People tend to regard others who smile and make eye contact as more trustworthy, so if you have an important job interview or date coming up, try smiling more often.
However, if you don’t feel confident about the appearance of your teeth, then smiling can be tricky. People in this position may hide their smiles behind their hands or try to smile with their mouth closed, and it can even affect mental health. Consequently, others may perceive them as being cold or standoffish when the very opposite is true. If this sounds familiar, Tandara Dental Centre can help you rediscover your best smile.
Ensuring Your Smile Looks Its Best
There are several ways we can help ensure your teeth look healthy, clean and attractive. One of the easiest ways is through general dentistry, making sure your oral hygiene routine is excellent and ensuring you do not have any untreated dental disease. The best way to find out for sure is to book a regular dentist checkup. Don’t worry if it has been a while since you last saw a dentist in Gosnells, as our friendly dental team are kind and compassionate and will help you regain and look after a healthy smile.
How Much Does It Cost to See the Dentist?
A dentist checkup is very affordable and is much easier on your wallet than leaving any small issues to develop into costly problems that are trickier to treat. Also, once you have good dental health, oral health maintenance is very straightforward. Most people will only need a biannual or annual dental appointment in Gosnells combined with biannual professional teeth cleaning appointments. If you have medical and dental insurance, the full or partial cost of preventive dental care is most likely covered.
Your Dentist Check Up
Initially, a dental check up will determine if you have any dental problems and if so, we can provide suitable treatment. For example, we can restore any teeth that may be damaged due to disease or trauma so you can eat, talk and smile comfortably and confidently. Good oral hygiene is crucial for a healthy smile, and we thoroughly recommend a professional teeth cleaning. Most people will benefit from having their teeth cleaned professionally twice yearly, although some may need more frequent cleanings.
Professional Teeth Cleaning
During your professional teeth cleaning, our hygienist can clean your teeth thoroughly before polishing them gently. It’s a great treatment for freshening your breath, removing some surface stains from teeth and generally ensuring your teeth look beautifully clean and sparkling with health. Unfortunately, we frequently see people with poor oral hygiene because they aren’t sure how to clean their teeth thoroughly or which tools to use. Other times, they might brush regularly, but their brushing routine isn’t thorough enough. Our dental team can explain the basics of oral hygiene so that you can upgrade your oral hygiene routine easily, and they can also provide teeth cleaning tips. When you improve your oral hygiene, it can have several clear benefits.
Oral health benefits include teeth that look cleaner and brighter, and fresher breath. Other tips for oral health might involve changes to your diet, such as avoiding snacking between meals on foods that increase the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Once you know how to improve oral health, it is very straightforward. In addition, you will enjoy the confidence that comes with knowing your teeth are healthy, clean and attractive between your regular oral health maintenance visits to Tandara Dental Centre.
Many people will find preventive dentistry is all they need to ensure their teeth look good so that they can smile confidently. Others, however, may elect to have cosmetic dentistry to improve the appearance of teeth or replace those missing.
Using Cosmetic Dentistry to Improve Your Smile
Nowadays, many people are choosing to have cosmetic dental treatments, and there are multiple solutions available. Some such as teeth whitening provide purely cosmetic benefits. Others, like crowns and dental implants, can provide oral health benefits while improving your smile.
A teeth whitening treatment is quick and affordable and can brighten the appearance of teeth using professional-strength whitening products that are safe and effective. Veneers cover the front surfaces of teeth too severely stained to respond to teeth whitening or which may have small imperfections in their appearance, creating a more cosmetically perfect smile. Crowns cap or cover a tooth entirely, and while they improve the appearance of a tooth, they also protect it, ensuring it cannot become damaged further. Finally, dental implants are the ultimate way to replace missing teeth, providing a long-term solution while protecting oral health.
There are many exciting ways we can help ensure your smile is the best accessory you can wear. Please ask us for more information during your next visit.
