What does your Smile say about you?
Your smile is a symbol that welcomes a friend, makes people feel comfortable around you, and reflects your personality and feelings. Nothing is more welcoming to others than your smile, and nothing conveys rejection quite as much as a fake smile or frown. Every day, dentists meet patients who are embarrassed to smile because they aren’t comfortable showing their teeth. We experience the deep emotions people have because of being self-conscious of their smile, covering their teeth when they laugh, and purposely not showing their teeth in photos. A person’s smile exhibits many things about themselves, their personalities, and their overall wellbeing and can play an important role in their daily lives.
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. There are all types of smiles, 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. When people smile without showing their teeth, this is NOT a genuine smile. This is not vanity, but a quality-of-life issue that can be helped by improving their smile. With all the options in dentistry to revitalize a smile, I always encourage patients to get educated on the possibilities. We have truly changed people’s lives by giving them the confident smile they deserve.
Confidence and Professionalism
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. A sincere smile shows that you’re comfortable with yourself and confident in your abilities. 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. 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.
Maybe it is time for change…
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 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 discolored teeth stop you from smiling, a properly trained cosmetic dentist can offer many options to give you the smile you deserve. I always recommend looking at the cosmetic dentist’s website to see the results of their “smile makeovers” to really make sure you are comfortable with the right dental office. Not all dentists are trained in proper smile design and cosmetic techniques, so make sure you conduct your research and consider the office’s reputation and reviews. This is an opportunity for you to change your life and give you back the confidence to smile again, so make sure it is a good fit for you. It could be the best decision you could make for yourself…and you deserve it.