A smile is a form of communication. It elicits benefits to the giver and recipient of the smile. A smile can evoke feelings of friendliness, compassion, empathy and trust. The simple gesture of smiling can be life changing. There are several health benefits to smiling.
- Smiling lowers your heart rate. In a study by the University of Kansas, Department of Psychology, participants were asked to smile while completing stressful tasks. The smiling group of participants had lower heart rates during stress recovery than the neutral group did. Thus indicating the health benefit of smiling can reduce your risk of a cardiovascular event.
- Smiling benefits on your brain – The act of smiling activates neural messaging that benefits your health and happiness. Smiling facilitates the release of neuropeptides that work towards alleviating stress. These neuropeptides are tiny molecules that allow neurons to communicate and send messages to the entire body when a person feels emotions. Dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin are the positive feeling neurotransmitters that help to relax the body, lowering your heart rate and blood pressure.
- Smiling releases endorphins – As the release of endorphins is increased, the stress hormone cortisol is reduced. Cortisol is more active when we feel stressed and anxious, which contributes to unpleasant feelings. Smiling lowers the negativity and allows for positive emotions to take over. People trying to lose weight will also benefit from smiling more, as cortisol is an active hormone that prevents people from dropping pounds if they’re too stressed out.
- Laughing expands the lungs – A seriously good belly laugh can expand the lungs, stretch the muscles in the body, tone the abdominal muscles, and stimulate homeostasis. This replenishes the cells by exercising the body in a way that the lungs get completely filled with oxygen, similar to how cardiovascular exercises work.
- Health benefits of smiling on your body – Your appearance improves twofold when you smile. People respond differently and there’s a sense of feeling rewarded. As a whole for the body, smiling makes you viewed as attractive and activates the region in your brain that processes sensory rewards. Both men and women are more attracted to images of people who make eye contact and smile than those who do not. Smiling puts a spring in your step.
There’s always something to smile about. Once you begin to consciously look at all the things that are uplifting and funny, you’ll be more aware of them, in tune with them, and more apt to engage in a spontaneous laugh or smile.
About Sedation and Implant Dentistry of Tehachapi
At Sedation and Implant Dentistry of Tehachapi, Jose David Sanchez D.D.S. and his expert team are poised to restore your smile and make certain the transformation is a lasting one. He doesn’t simply want to fix your teeth, he wants to change your life. Get to know all the ins and outs of our dental treatment by calling our office at (661) 822-3727 and scheduling a smile upgrade today. With one consultation and plenty of support, you can be on your way to smile success.
Dr. Sanchez has 46 years’ dental experience and is the owner of Sedation and Implant Dentistry in Tehachapi, California. Dr. Sanchez has completed specialized training in restoring complete function and esthetics to patients’ smiles with dental implants. At the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Sanchez served as a clinical professor on restorative and operative dentistry. He is a member of several prestigious dental organizations, including Fellow of Misch International Implant Institute, Fellow of International Congress of Oral Implantologists, Fellow of Global Dental Implant Academy, American Dental Society of Anesthesiology and California Dental Society of Anesthesiology. Dr. Sanchez continues to take hundreds of hours of continuing education courses yearly and stays up to date with the latest technology.
