Smiling is largely involuntary. You might flash a purposeful grin while posing for a photo or when you first meet a new colleague, but even these instances will likely require little thought. There are benefits, though, to putting more consideration into your smile, especially the health and appearance of it. Achieving a perfect smile can easily and positively impact various aspects of your life.
Read on to explore the proven links between a confident smile, career advancement, social connection, and overall life satisfaction.
The Science of Smiling
There is a wealth of research that demonstrates the positive impacts of a perfect smile. The effects are both physical and psychological, and they extend beyond you as an individual to both your social and professional circles.
The characteristics of your smile—your teeth, lips, face shape, and other factors—may not be naturally “perfect,” but your smile is unique to you. Any of these elements that are not aesthetically perfect can add to the individual charm of your overall appearance. However, if you find that certain things about your smile cause you either physical or emotional distress, it may be time to consider a smile makeover.
Physical Effects
In terms of physiology, your smile should generally be something you do not notice. The spacing, size, alignment, and overall health of your teeth (and gums) should be such that you have no discomfort or hindrance when eating, speaking, or smiling. Unfortunately, if you have severely misshapen or misaligned teeth, they can cause:
- Gaps, which trap food particles between teeth and worsen tooth decay.
- Sharp points of teeth, which will rub painfully against the soft tissue of the mouth.
- Improper bite positioning (or “occlusion”), which can result in
- Added wear on the surfaces of teeth
- Painful jaw movement and/or popping
- Extended pain from the jaw into the neck and head (including migraines)
Psychological Effects
Not every imperfect smile causes such severe physical discomfort. That said, even minor tooth blemishes can significantly affect you psychologically. If you feel your smile is unattractive, it can lower your confidence and self-esteem, causing you to withdraw and hide it from others. This negatively impacts relationships, whether personal or professional.
Having a healthy, attractive smile makes smiling more comfortable for your mind and body. Being comfortable while smiling makes you more likely to smile, allowing you to better access your smile’s natural benefits.
Brain & Body Benefits
Smiling is proven to have an interconnected positive impact on the human brain and body. Donning a smile automatically triggers the brain to release “feel-good chemicals” called endorphins, which naturally lift your mood and reduce feelings of stress. Physically, this translates to a decreased heart rate and lower cortisol levels (two of the body’s primary stress indicators). A smile has enough power to produce this effect even when it is forced, meaning that the choice to smile when you don’t feel happy can increase happiness all by itself.
Social Benefits of a Perfect Smile
Not only does a perfect smile benefit you, it also impacts the people around you by fostering positivity and connection in your relationships. In particular, it can have a profound effect on the way others perceive you.
Your facial expressions communicate a lot about your mood and personality without words. As such, these expressions also carry much of the weight in informing others’ first impressions of you. Smiling alone projects confidence, warmth, approachability, and competence, all of which are vital for initiating and maintaining robust social connections.
Smiles in the Workplace: More Than Just an Aesthetic
When it comes to professional settings, your smile may be more influential than you think. Maintaining a natural, authentic smile indicates to others that you are comfortable with yourself and your environment. It also conveys your openness to others. Whether you work in a customer service role or on a more internally oriented team, the positivity you project can help others feel more comfortable interacting with you. That positivity can make an impact, especially during times of higher stress in the workplace.
What’s more, each of these impressions is particularly important if you are positioned in a leadership role. Your ability to maintain a calm and enthusiastic attitude under pressure helps uplift the morale of your team, who look to you for both direct guidance and modeled behavior in navigating work-related obstacles. Keeping a level head and confident smile signals trustworthiness and competence to those under your supervision, fostering a stronger bond among team members.
The same goes for building rapport with new clients and colleagues. Whether your role requires you to connect with a customer base for sales, initiate partnerships with other professionals, or even interview for new career opportunities—studies show that a genuine smile encourages perceptions of trust and receptiveness. Establishing this kind of connection through a simple smile is a proven method for boosting professional success, both at the start of your career and in its later stages.
Smiling and Life Satisfaction
Be it professional or personal, the quality of your smile is key to strengthening your network. This not only opens doors of opportunity for you in your career and relationships, but also leads to improved quality of life and well-being.
The stronger your connections to the people and world around you, the greater your sense of community and belonging. The more positive your social presence is, the more likely positivity is to be reciprocated. Happiness breeds happiness, and so the more happiness you express, the greater your individual happiness will be.
Furthermore, taking extra care of your smile to keep it healthy and bright is proven to improve both physical health and self-esteem, which both lead to greater life satisfaction.
Overcoming Smile Insecurities
It is not uncommon to feel insecure about certain characteristics of your smile. Straight, white teeth are generally seen as more attractive. As a result, people with misaligned, discolored, or missing teeth may feel self-conscious about their appearance.
While this is not necessarily the case, there are options for improving the look of your smile if it causes you feelings of insecurity. These options come in the form of cosmetic dentistry.
Teeth Whitening
For teeth that are discolored or even just slightly dull, one of the best options is professional teeth whitening. It is a cosmetic procedure that is customizable to your desired brightening level, and delivers results as early as the first treatment. Professional whitening typically provides longer-lasting, safer results than at-home kits, with less risk of gum damage or increased tooth sensitivity.
Veneers
Dental veneers are ideal for patients whose teeth are chipped, worn, uneven, or irregularly shaped. A custom-made, stain-resistant shell covers the exterior of the treated tooth, offering an improved but natural look that lasts for years when properly cared for.
Invisalign
There are also specific options designed to straighten misaligned teeth and correct bite positioning. One of the most popular treatments is Invisalign, which offers a more discreet and comfortable solution than typical metal braces. Dentists use 3D imaging to custom fit clear, plastic, removable aligners to the teeth. The flexibility of this treatment makes it an ideal option for busy professionals.
Aesthetic Dentistry
Another way to achieve a perfect smile is through aesthetic dentistry. These are services which focus on perfecting your smile by improving the appearance of the face, in combination with personalized cosmetic dental treatments.
Facial aesthetic procedures can include laser treatments (such as Forma, Lumecca, Morpheus8, and DiolazeXL) to tighten and brighten skin texture, as well as tone or remove unwanted hair. Botox treatments can improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and forehead. They can also help relieve migraines and other temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ)-related discomfort. Pairing these treatments with cosmetic options, such as dental contouring is a guaranteed way to get your smile in perfect shape.
Ready for a perfect smile?
A great smile is essential for building confidence and ensuring career and social success. It helps you express the best of yourself to others—friends and colleagues alike—and leads to greater happiness. Enhancing your smile could mean improved work productivity, a higher income, or even landing your dream job. With these possibilities at hand, what are you waiting for?
If you’re ready to improve your life satisfaction and success, schedule a consultation today to learn how to achieve a perfect smile. Connect online with the Smile Dailey Modern Dentistry team for more details or to request an appointment.
