Say cheese! Smiling is contagious and we think your smile is something to celebrate everyday. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, and while you’re celebrating all types of love you have in your life, remember to find reasons to love your smile! Our smiles help show others that we are happy and enjoying life, plus smiling can provide multiple benefits too. 

Why should you love your smile? Here are 6 reasons: 

It Makes You Happier

Yep, smiling can make you happier! Doesn’t that seem counterintuitive? We associate smiling with being happy, but sometimes a smile can trick your brain into thinking you’re happy. Why does this happen? According to NBC News, a smile can spur a chemical reaction in your brain, releasing hormones like dopamine and serotonin. 

What is dopamine? Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that your body makes and uses it to send messages between nerve cells. Often times, it’s also called the chemical messenger. Dopamine also affects how we feel pleasure, and according to WebMD it’s also a major component of our ability to focus and think. 

What is serotonin? Serotonin is a chemical that’s may jobs in our bodies. This is referred to as the happy chemical, because it truly contributes to our happiness by playing a role with our emotions. It’s also ties into our appetites, and our cognitive, motor, and autonomic functions. 

It’s Contagious

When you smile, you encourage those around you smile, even if they don’t realize it! As humans, it’s in our blood to empathize and connect with others. We copy other people’s facial expressions because it gives us the ability to understand their current emotions a little more. When you’re talking to someone sad you don’t have a smile on your face, you tend to look sad with them while they talk through what is on their minds. On the flip side, when you’re smiling while talking to others they’re more inclined to smile back. So love your smile! It’ll help brighten someone else’s day.

You’ll Appear Younger

And who doesn’t love that? When you flash a big smile you’re naturally making yourself look more youthful. Studies have proven that people who smile appear younger than others who are showing other emotions on their faces. Do you want instant face lift for FREE? Smile! 

It’s a Natural Painkiller

The feel-good endorphins that are released when you smile act as natural pain relief! Why take something that might come with negative side effects when smiling might just do the job for you? Next time you’re in a little pain, try smiling and see if you find relief. 

It Relieves Stress

Smiling encourages the release of neuropeptides, which work to combat stress. When you smile, all of your feel-good neurotransmitters are released. This not only relaxes your body, but it also has been shown to lower heart rate and blood pressure. Life is too short to be stressed out, trying slowing own and flashing a smile. Your body will thank you for it. 

It Will Boost Your Immunity 

Being sad weakens the immune system while happiness has been shown to increase your ability to fight off infection. Next time you feel illness coming along, try smiling a little more for that an extra boot to your immunity. 

If you’re not happy with your smile, we can help! Dr. Berry provides a variety of dental services, and together we can work to take what exactly it is you’re not happy with and find options to fix it. Cosmetic options we offer to help your confidence include:

• Veneers
• Invisalign
• Zoom Teeth Whitening 

These treatments can help improve the appearance of smiles that has flaws you don’t like, such as:

• Crooked or crowded teeth
• Misshapen teeth
• Stained teeth 
• Gaps and spaces between teeth
• Chipped or cracked teeth
• Aged teeth
• Teeth that are too small or too large 

If you want to love your smile, Valentine’s Day is the perfect time of year to start.  Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love in all its forms – from our relationships with others and even our relationship with ourselves. With our high-quality cosmetic services, we are able to help correct the imperfections that bother you. When we love our smiles we have more confidence and a higher self esteem, plus all the benefits mentioned above! 

Love Your Smile with Mountain Aire Dentistry

We think every smile is worth celebrating. If you’re not happy with your smile, ask how Mountain Aire Dentistry can help! For more information about cosmetic dentistry and how we can help get you a smile that you love, call us today (303)-731-7755.