Your smile is a symbol that welcomes a new friend, makes people feel comfortable around you, and reflects your personality and feelings. Nothing is more attractive to others than your smile, and nothing conveys rejection quite as much as a fake smile or frown.
Every day, the team at Glow Orthodontics meets with patients who are simply too embarrassed to smile because they aren’t comfortable showing their teeth. The Glow Orthodontics team works closely with each person, recommending customized orthodontic treatment that makes each individual proud to smile and express important personality traits such as:
True happiness
It’s simple: A genuine smile reflects true happiness. You may be happy to see someone, happy with the result of a test, or just plain happy that the sun is out. Whatever the reason, it’s reflected in your smile when it’s genuine.
So, what is a genuine smile? A genuine smile, called a Duchenne smile, involves muscles in your mouth and eyes. In addition to an upturned mouth, a true smile is reflected by the natural contraction of muscles that make your eyes narrow and the sides of your eyes crinkle. (These are the muscle movements responsible for crow’s feet.)
There are all types of smiles, like a fake smile, a falsely polite smile, and a “say cheese” smile, in which you move your mouth muscles, but not your eyes. Your eye muscles only move when you feel genuinely happy — at least, that’s true most of the time.
It is possible to learn how to mimic a Duchenne smile and to reproduce it when you want to act as if you’re truly happy, even if you aren’t. But in most natural situations, only a genuine smile produces the telltale eye crinkle.
Friendly, trustworthy, and agreeable
When you flash a genuine smile, it’s an open invitation saying you’re friendly and willing to interact with others. You’re also perceived as more trustworthy and agreeable. A true smile shows you’re willing to cooperate and that you’re worthy of another person’s time and attention.
Confidence and professionalism
A true smile shows that you’re comfortable with yourself and confident in your abilities. On the flip side, if you don’t feel confident and you need that boost, smiling triggers your brain to reflect the emotion. Your smile makes you more memorable to others and makes them more likely to want to work with you, which is important in many social situations, but has a definite benefit on the job.
Outlook needed for life success
Your smile reflects a positive outlook. According to one study, a genuine smile helps you build connections and display competence, qualities that predict better outcomes throughout your life. People who are known for their genuine smile in young adulthood are more likely to do better in marriage, work, and personal wellbeing as they get older.
Ability to cope by reliance on friends
It turns out that people who can genuinely smile in the days following a difficult event, even a death, aren’t squelching their emotions, avoiding reality, or acting inappropriately. It means they have better coping skills, they’re better adjusted, and they rely on a healthy network of friends.
Don’t miss out on the magic of your smile.
There’s no doubt that your smile reflects many different aspects of your personality. When you don’t smile, you lose an important way to connect with others and show your positive qualities. In fact, not smiling turns people away and makes you unhappy, too.
If you’re self-conscious about the appearance of your teeth, chances are you aren’t smiling as much as you used to, or maybe you aren’t smiling at all. If crooked teeth, gaps between your teeth, or misaligned teeth stop you from smiling, the team at Glow Orthodontics can help. Contact the office, to schedule an appointment and start on the path to a lifetime of smiles.
