There’s no doubt that a smile is powerful. Of course, we all want beautiful, straight, white teeth. However, did you know smiles are often the first feature people notice about others? And that smiling at work brings better job performance? It’s true!
Smiling has the power to lead us to think we’re happier than we are, thus uplifting our mood and leading us to better job performance overall. Some may say that people smile when they’re happy, but people also become happy when they smile. This also rubs off onto others.
Smiling at customers or clients gives them the impression that you’re happy to be at work. Seeing your smile will positively transfer to customers and clients, putting them in a better mood as well.
Even if you don’t have a job, attending a job interview smiling is more likely to land you the job than if you didn’t smile. This is because a smile gives off a great first impression. It shows that you’re positive, confident, and generally happy to work potentially.
What can I do if my smile is flawed?
First and foremost, it’s essential to keep in mind that there’s never a smile not worthy of being used. Any smile can rub off onto others in the workplace positively.
It’s mighty and provides many opportunities to meet others, give off an excellent first impression, and put those around you in a good mood. First, people will think more highly of you when you show off your pearly whites. Secondly, if you’re still not confident enough with your smile, you can turn to many different dental procedures.
If you’re embarrassed about your stained or discolored teeth, you can opt for professional or even at-home tooth whitening. Crooked and misaligned teeth can easily be fixed thanks to orthodontics. Metal braces and Invisalign are just a few options for straightening the teeth. Missing teeth can be replaced in multiple ways.
Most common methods of tooth replacement are dentures (full or partial) and dental implants (permanent or removable). Cracked, chipped, or a severely discolored or stained tooth can be easily fixed (depending on the problem) with either dental bonding, veneers, a crown, or even a dental implant to replace it.
8 Ways To A Better Smile According To Dentists
#1 Be extra attentive to dental hygiene
Brushing and flossing are the cornerstones of dental hygiene. Dentists recommend brushing twice a day and flossing daily.
The minimum amount of time for brushing is 2 minutes. This recommended duration is adequate to remove surface stains and food scraps. The mouth is a conducive breeding ground for bacteria. They feast on the food trapped in the teeth, and decay-causing acids are a by-product of this bacterial infestation.
Daily flossing helps prevent plaque buildup in hard-to-reach areas. Flossing is essential since plaque is missed by brushing, and flossing can calcify into tartar or calculus, causing cavities or even gum diseases.
#2 Act fast on stains
The sooner you get to stains, the less likely they will stick and remain permanent.
“The tannins and polyphenols in foods such as coffee, tea, marinara sauce, and red wine adhere to the surface of your tooth in under an hour,” cautions Jonathan Levine, D.D.S., founder of GoSmile, a dental-products company in New York City.
Combined with plaque, which can trap dark pigments and harden into tartar in 8 to 24 hours, stains will become increasingly tougher to tackle over time. So, break out the toothbrush as soon as possible after eating the culprit foods.
#3 Eat a well-balanced diet
Serious health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes, are linked to gum disease. The idea is that the bacteria from periodontal diseases travel towards the body’s vital organs via the bloodstream, resulting in localized inflammations.
Fortifying your oral health with the right fruits and vegetables can help combat this formidable effect.
Include plenty of calcium-rich foods, like milk, yogurt, and cheese, in your diet. In addition, food abundant in vitamin C, like fresh citrus fruits, helps bolster the health of the gums. Raisins and tea combat the acids that destroy tooth enamel, while hard foods like apples and carrots are natural cleansing agents that stimulate saliva secretion.
As much as it is crucial to consider the “do’s” in your diet, it is equally essential to note the “do nots” as well. Sticky and sugary foods that get trapped in the crevices of the teeth release acid when they react with the bacteria in the mouth, eventually causing gum problems and decay.
#4 Opt for sugar-free gum
No toothbrush? No biggie – at least for the time being.
In a pinch, any gum that’s sugar-free (an absolute must for dodging tooth decay) can help keep your pearly whites gleaming. “Both whitening and regular gums work on the same principle — Saliva flows over your teeth, flushing away stains,” says Lana Rozenberg, D.D.S., founder of the Dental Day Spa in New York City.
Even rinsing with a swig of water or chomping on some crudités does the trick; heavy chewing generates saliva. But make sure you stick with non-sugary options. Sorry, sweet tooths, that means caramel chews and nougats don’t count!
#5 Visit your dentist regularly
Ever wonder why the American Dental Association recommends regular dental visits at least twice a year? Regular visits are essential because your dentists are your partners in preserving the health of your gums and teeth.
There are two parts of a regular dental visit: the checkup and the cleaning. Your dental professional will assess your overall oral health and check for possible trouble areas during checkups. Meanwhile, cleaning mainly involves the removal of tartar and plaque buildup.
Your dentist may also perform comprehensive examinations to spot gum diseases and oral cancer early signs.
If you want to correct misalignment, lighten discolored teeth, or opt for dental restoration, your dentist is the best resource for treatment advice.
Since the past decade, advances in cosmetic dentistry have come a long way, providing solutions to virtually any dental aesthetic issues.
#6 Make fluoride your friend
Don’t count on a whitening toothpaste alone to safeguard your smile. According to Dr. Debra Glassman, whitening toothpastes don’t have enough peroxide and don’t stay on your teeth long enough.
However, a whitening toothpaste with fluoride is your best bet; it helps strengthen the tooth’s enamel. Dr. Glassman says this will also soothe sensitivity and prevent stains and plaque from ruining your smile.
A fluoride treatment at your dentist is also an important consideration, or opting for fluoride gel to apply at home.
#7 Avoid smoking or chewing tobacco
Apart from causing other serious health problems, tobacco use can also cause teeth discoloration.
Nicotine, the predominant ingredient of the product, causes yellow stains on tooth surfaces and along the gum lines. Saliva flow is also lower with smokers. Thus, they are more likely candidates for halitosis and even oral cancer.
#8 Avoid or reduce drinking tooth-staining beverages
The rule of thumb for this pointer is that if a drink can stain a white cloth, it can stain your teeth. The most common perpetrators are red wine, coffee, tea, fruit juices, and dark sodas.
While tea is beneficial to oral health, moderation is important. This goes out to most of the other aforementioned beverages. For example, most carbonated dark sodas contain sugar that promote acid generation in the mouth, resulting in dental fractures and gum problems.
On any given day, never hold back your smile. It’s our body’s natural de-stresser and is one of the most contagious human gestures. Embrace your self-confidence and that feeling of positivity by caring for your oral health daily.
Facts About Smiling
- Psychologists have discovered that even when a person is bad, smiling can immediately lift their spirit by forcing a grin.
- Smiling helps a person get a promotion. It makes a person appear more confident, friendly, and attractive. People who smile often are more likely to get a promotion or pay raise.
- A smile can effectively relieve stress. The body releases endorphins when a person smiles, even when the person forces a smile. In turn, the rapid change in mood will help a person release stress and generally feel better.
- You can expect lower blood pressure when smiling. Consider checking if this is true by monitoring your blood pressure at home if you have a blood pressure monitor. For a few minutes, take a reading without smiling. Afterward, try another reading while you are smiling. Then observe the difference.
- Smiling greatly boosts one’s immune system. So, this conveys that smiling can considerably enhance one’s physical wellness too. The body is more relaxed when a person smile. Likewise, this contributes to a stronger immune system and better health.
- Surprisingly, people consider smiles more attractive than an application of makeup. A study administered by Orbit Complete unveiled that 69 percent identified women as more attractive when they smiled versus when they wore makeup.
- The facial muscles are exercised through smiling. So, in turn, this can give you a younger appearance over time. Who knew the secret to looking youthful could be contributed by smiling more on a daily basis?
- A smile doesn’t cost a penny! We often complain about bills, but a smile? Well, that’s free (unless you’re opting for cosmetic dentistry, of course).
- You can push away the negativity with a smile. A beautiful smile draws people to you while grimaces and tired appearances push people away.
- Your smile is contagious, psychologically lifting the moods of others around you. When a person is smiling, others are also encouraged to smile. So, this helps change the moods of other people around you. You can light up a room with a grin!
- Smiling releases happy hormones. Research says that smiling is essentially a natural drug considering it releases serotonin, natural painkillers, and endorphins. All these help make a person feel good both emotionally and physically.
- A smile brings a great first impression. People will view you as upbeat, optimistic, and friendly when they see you flash your pearly whites. Those qualities will be remembered after job interviews, first dates, and the like.
- You’ll look more successful with a smile. When you smile at work or at meetings, you appear more confident and content with your career. Looking angry or tired at work gives off the impression that you’re not happy to be at your job or aren’t satisfied with your position.
Smiling On The Phone: Can People Tell?
Smiling is the purest expression of bliss.
Smiling can boost one’s immune system, regulate blood pressure, prolong our lifespan, and reduce the risk of certain cancers. It also provides us with contentment and peace of mind.
What’s delightful about smiling is that it doesn’t cost a thing. But sadly, an average adult only does it approximately 20 times a day.
Perhaps many of us wonder if a big smile can make a sound when we are on the phone. Surprisingly, according to some studies, it does. It may be unseen when one smiles over the phone. However, smiles are heard.
In truth, when a person is talking to a prospect over the phone, the other person is unintentionally attentive for hints to our plan, state of mind, motives, and even intentions. Aside from the words we utter, there are also other approaches by which the listener picks out valuable information to decipher what they think we actually mean.
Listeners over the phone interpret the talker through their:
- Choice of vocabulary
- Tone of voice (demeanor)
- Rhythmic variations in sentence structure
- Volume of speech
- Breaths: how often and how long
- Speed at which they speak
- Clues to their mood
- Differences in inflection
It is truly possible for us to determine with precision whether the person we talk to is frowning, smiling, emotionless, or smirking by simply listening. An article by Discovery revealed that people can distinguish vocal intonation, not merely between non-smile and smile, but also among various forms of a smile.
Additionally, how a person speaks can be affected by a smile to the point that listeners can tell the kind of smile based on sound alone. Due to the reality that almost eighty-four percent of indicators over the phone go to the person’s tone of voice, it is fundamental to have a smiling tone.
Most people are aware that a smile can say so much more than words. Behind a smile usually lies likable positivity, kindness, and confidence. Indeed, it is not a stroke of luck that people are attracted to such qualities.
People who have healthy teeth have many reasons to smile throughout the day. Smiling can also alter the brain’s blood flow, making a person happier.
It is also worth noting that a smile can promote social acceptability and trust. So, always wear a smile to improve your social circle. Of course, you should not forget to smile when you talk to someone over the phone as well.
More Ways on How Smiling Influences Your Life
According to American psychologist Paul Ekman, smiles are cross-cultural and evoke the same meaning in different societies. Ekman made this claim based on his studies in Papua New Guinea where members of the Fore tribe attributed smiles to descriptions of situations similar to us. The Fore people live in the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea and are disconnected from Western culture.
A smile ranked second most attractive attribute by men and women after personality.
In one of his TED talks, speaker and writer Ron Gutman said that smiling has “untapped powers.” He claims that smiles can significantly improve lives.
Gutman cited a study by psychological scientists LeeAnne Harker and Dacher Keltner of the University of California Berkeley on how smiles can be windows into a person’s core disposition.
Harker and Keltner analyzed college yearbook photos of women using Facial Coding System (FACs) and matched them with personality data collected during a 30-year longitudinal study. The study’s findings revealed that the widest smilers had greater levels of marital satisfaction and general well-being by the age of 52.
In a 2010 Wayne State University research project, baseball card photos of Major League players in 1952 were examined. These photos would reveal that a player’s smile can predict his life span. According to the project, unsmiling players lived an average of 72.9 years. However, beaming players had an average lifespan of 79.9 years.
Why? Smiling can activate the release of neuropeptides, which are small molecules neurons use to communicate with each other. Neuropeptides influence the activity of the brain and body. Because of the activation of these small molecules, stress reduces.
A smile also releases neurotransmitters like dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin. These help relax the body and lower blood pressure. Endorphins are a natural pain reliever, while serotonin serves as an anti-depressant or mood lifter.
Researchers from Britain found that smiling stimulates the brain’s reward mechanisms more than chocolate and money. According to the study, a smile gives the same level of brain stimulation as that of 2,000 chocolate bars and 16,000 pounds of sterling in cash.
Gutman encourages people to smile and tap the superpower of smiling to help yourself and others live longer, healthier, and happier lives.
Better health, optimism, and confidence are the results of a beaming smile. If you have problems with the aesthetics of your teeth, then it is high time to see your dentist. Your dentist can help you possess a beautiful smile in no time through various procedures and/or treatments.
