There’s no doubt that being in a great mood naturally makes you want to share your smile with the world. But have you ever thought about how your smile influences your mental health?
Dentists are often the first people to see the tremendous effects that a healthier and prettier smile has on someone’s overall mental health, and they’re always eager to hear about how their services improve your overall mood. Whether you’re considering going back to the dentist after a long gap in your dental care or just need a little inspiration to schedule your next checkup, learning about these mental health benefits of a healthy smile can help you get motivated for your next appointment.
Trick Your Brain Into Thinking You’re Happy
That saying that sometimes you need to “fake it until you make it” is true. While it can be annoying to hear someone tell you to smile when you’re feeling down, the truth is that they might actually be helping you out. Science has shown that smiling triggers your brain to release the hormones dopamine and serotonin, which have a positive impact on your mood.
The simple act of flashing a smile also causes your brain to send signals to the rest of your body that help you relax. And when your teeth feel and look great, you’re more apt to want to show them off. You can even try this out the next time that you are feeling down by simply taking a moment to smile. While it won’t cure all of your problems, you might just discover that you feel happier in general.
Reduce Your Risk of Developing an Addiction
If you’ve ever had a cavity, then you know all too well about how dental pain can disrupt your happiness. Unfortunately, being in chronic pain also puts you at a higher risk of developing an addiction. This is because many people turn to drugs or alcohol to self-treat pain at home. Misusing certain substances also places you at a higher risk of having dental health problems since addiction can lead to you ignoring your oral hygiene routine or dealing with dry mouth. For this reason, treatment programs often focus on helping people to address both their physical and mental health at the same time. Restoring your smile back to health can contribute to improving your total health.
Increase Your Self-Confidence
While you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, there is some interesting information about the importance of having a healthy smile. People tend to judge themselves more harshly than others, but those who already love their smile are more likely to have a higher level of self-confidence. In a recent survey conducted by Cigna, 93% of people who are satisfied with their smile reported that they had an excellent or very good confidence level. Meanwhile, 21% of people in the same study who were not satisfied with their smiles reported feeling anxious during job interviews. Making an effort to improve the appearance of your smile could help you to experience less anxiety during important meetings with other people.
Make More Social Connections
The power of a smile is well-known for helping people to attract new friends and make social connections in the workplace. Being unhappy with your smile could cause you to miss out on important social opportunities.
In one survey, 36% of people who were unhappy with their smile reported that they believed they would have a more fulfilling social life if they had more attractive teeth. Removing stains and restoring broken or decayed teeth can help you to feel more confident about smiling at the people that you meet. As you fill out your friend group, you’ll notice that you have people that you can turn to when you need a pick-me-up, and you’ll feel happier when you can participate in social events that make it possible to return your friend’s gestures of kindness.
Your smile is one of the first things that people see when you meet someone new, and your friends and family also enjoy seeing you flash those pearly whites. While going to the dentist might not be at the top of the list of your favorite things to do, it is important. Scheduling an exam helps you to find out what you can do to improve your smile.
Whether you need to replace a missing tooth or just brighten your smile with tooth whitening services, you’ll notice that your mood improves along with your ability to feel confident as you go about your day.
Sources
nbcnews.com-Smiling Can Trick Your Brain
sciencedaily.com-Pain and Substance Abuse
sunshinebehavioralhealth.com-Holistic Treatment Programs
dental-tribune.com-Survey Reveals Impact of Healthy Teeth on Wellbeing
prnewswire.com-Study Shows That One-Third of Americans Are Unhappy With Their Smile