"Smile and the world will smile back at you", said an old adage. But it's not just a saying: time and again, research has proven it to be true. Being cheerful and having a positive outlook on life starts with something as simple but crucial as a great smile.

Smiling more produces a chain reaction of amazing benefits on both our minds and our bodies, as well as those of the people around us. Are you smiling enough in your life? Do you feel confident with the way your smile looks?

If you're not quite sure, or if you think that there are aspects that you could improve, then read on. We are going to show you why having a beautiful, contagious smile is essential to living a happy, healthy life.

A Great Smile Helps You Make a Better First Impression

Close your eyes and try to remember the first time you met someone that you are now very close to. It can be a friend, a co-worker, or a simple acquaintance that you get on with very well.

Chances are that, at that precise moment, this person was greeting you and introducing themselves with a smile. This is why they made a great first impression on you and ended up becoming someone that you trust and appreciate.

Next time you meet someone new, then, remember to show them your best smile. But what if you're not feeling comfortable with the way your teeth look? Then, it might be a good idea to check out some cosmetic dentistry procedures. There is no shame in booking an appointment for teeth polishing by the dentist in Little Falls, so don’t hesitate to do so!

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It Boosts Your Immune System

It might sound a bit surprising, but it's scientifically proven: smiling more helps reinforce your immune system. Why? It's easily said.

When you smile, you trigger an overall body reaction that calms and relaxes your muscles. By doing so, you will release high quantities of dopamine, which goes on to activate certain parts of your immune system.

Once the level of dopamine increases, so does the number of natural killer cells and antibodies in your blood, which are essential to create and maintain your immune defenses. Pretty cool stuff, right?

It Helps to Fight Feelings of Stress and Anxiety

In a similar way to what we have just discussed, smiling is a fantastic method to combat feelings of stress and anxiety. This happens because, when you smile, your body triggers the release of endorphins, the so-called "happy hormone".

This hormone allows your body to neutralize other hormones that are responsible for causing unpleasant emotions, such as anxiety and stress. Whether or not you are someone who gets worked up and agitated quite easily, smiling more won't cost you anything and, in fact, will bring you some pretty awesome benefits in terms of your mental wellbeing.

It's Easier and More Natural Than Frowning

Try this quick and fun experiment. Without thinking about anything, in particular, contract the muscles around your forehead in a frown. Now, relax them and smile. 

Which action was the easiest and felt most natural to you? Without any doubt, you will answer "smiling". This is yet another one of those smile-related scientific facts that are pretty mind-blowing.

While humans tend to use pretty much the same amount of muscles to smile and to frown, the action of smiling is much more frequent and the muscles involved in it are more developed. This, in turn, means that smiling is a more spontaneous, less complex expression as opposed to frowning.

It Can Help With Your Professional Career

Have you ever noticed how the most successful, best paid, and most professionally fulfilled people you know are also people who display a cheerful, upbeat personality? This is because, from a psychological and behavioral perspective, someone who smiles more projects feelings of trust, reliability, and confidence in those around them.

For this reason, smiling during an important job interview, or a work meeting to land a promotion will serve you well in reaching your professional goal. Plus, as we said, smiling helps to fight stress and anxiety, so it will be a real win-win in such high-profile professional situations.

It Makes You More Attractive, Interesting and Approachable to Other People

Want to make new friends, meet a new partner, or impress your new co-workers? Then, you need to smile more — but make sure you look after your teeth, too.

The importance of good dental health was even demonstrated by a scientific study. In this project, participants were shown images of individuals with crooked, unhealthy teeth, and others of people with beautiful, straight teeth.

The vast majority of respondents stated that the photos of individuals with healthier smiles made them feel more at ease and comfortable, as they associated more positive qualities with them. If you want to project feelings of happiness, success, and trust in the people around you, then taking care of your smile is paramount.

Ready to Smile a Whole Lot More?

Now that you know why having a great smile, and smiling more, is so beneficial for your mental and physical health as well as your personal and professional relationships, you really have no more excuses!

Start smiling more today and see how much easier it is to make new friends, find the love of your life, or land that promotion at work that you are dreaming of.

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