Smiling for Better Health and Happiness

Smiling has all sorts of benefits. It can improve your health, happiness, and even make you more successful. As we learn more about how the brain works, we’re discovering more and more about the benefits of smiling.

The Science of Smiling

When you smile, it causes your brain to release chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are neurotransmitters that are released by the pituitary gland during times of stress, helping relieve pain and causing pleasurable feelings.

Now here’s the interesting part – you can make your brain release endorphins just by forcing yourself to smile. It works even when you really don’t feel like smiling. That’s because endorphins “are triggered by the movements of the muscles in your face, which is interpreted by your brain, which in turn releases these chemicals.”

This sounds hard to believe, but forcing even a fake smile can also do wonders for improving your mood and lowering stress. This isn’t just a statement – it’s also backed up by scientific evidence. In one recent study,  researchers had subjects force themselves to smile with chopsticks while they performed a difficult task. Compared to a control group that wasn’t forcing themselves to smile, the people with the forced chopstick smiles had lower heart rates after finishing the task than those hadn’t.

Smiling for Success

Flashing a pearly smile doesn’t just lower stress. It’s also an important factor in creating a lasting first impression, allowing you to appear more trustworthy to others. This in turn has a huge impact on your social experiences,  and can even have a positive impact on your career. A study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh established a link between the size of a person’s smile and “how trustworthy they seemed to others.”

Smiling can help you get along better in the workplace because it “makes you appear more approachable.” Smiling more often will also help you look “confident self assured, and on top of your work.” That’s why people who smile “are more likely to earn more money through tips and raises.”

Enhancing Smiles in Havre de Grace

At Family Implants and Reconstructive Dentistry, we offer a variety of treatments to help you get that smile you’ve been dreaming about. Call today to arrange a consultation. See what our Havre de Grace dentist can do for you.