Health Benefits of Smiling
Do you know the value of your smile? Smiling is a universal greeting. Depending on the situation, a smile can be a potential sign of friendliness and professionalism. How you smile is one of the first things people notice about you. But did you know that a smile can affect your overall health as well?
Smiling has been scientifically proven to relieve stress, enhance mood, and even strengthen your body and immune system. Though we know it can be challenging to smile with confidence when missing teeth, the fact is that smiling has tremendous benefits. The health benefits that smiling offers span across both physical and mental health, so hiding your smile just isn’t worth it.
Fortunately, Dr. Eggleston can replace missing teeth with dental implants, restoring your full smile and allowing you to enjoy the health benefits of smiling again. Read our guide to learn about the health benefits of smiling and discover all the different ways a full smile can change your life for the better.
Alleviate Stress
Frequently worrying and consistently dealing with stress can take a huge toll on your productivity and health. High stress is a leading cause of high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. When your blood pressure is consistently higher than normal, it increases your risk of serious health issues such as stroke and heart disease, two of the leading causes of death in America.
Fortunately, the maintenance and improvement of your cardiovascular system is one of the health benefits of smiling. Smiling and laughing temporarily increases your blood flow and heart rate, but this is immediately followed by your muscles relaxing and your heart rate and your blood pressure dropping. This occurs because laughter and smiling produce endorphins that fight the negative effects of stress causing hormones.
Mood Enhancement
According to a cross-sectional study conducted for Motivation and Emotion, a peer reviewed medical journal, sadness lasts longer than any other emotion. This means it can be exceedingly difficult to bring yourself out of a low mood. Fortunately, even if it doesn’t reflect how you feel at the time, taking the initiative and smiling can boost your mood and emotions.
Smiling releases chemicals and compounds like dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin that are responsible for sending signals to your body that you’re happy. This physical response to a smile helps lift your mood. Even though you may feel sad or unmotivated, smiling anyway can help enhance your ability to feel good.
Strengthen Your Body and Boost Your Immune System
Smiling doesn’t just keep you healthy by lowering stress levels and preventing stress related diseases. According to research conducted for Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, smiling and mirthful laughter increases immune cells and antibodies that fight infection. Additionally, according to research compiled for The Royal Society, smiling and relaxed laughter in social settings helps raise pain thresholds. Though illness and chronic pain can impact how you enjoy your day-to-day life, remembering to be positive and to indulge in smiling and laughing can help uplift you and make each day better.
Enjoy the Health Benefits of Smiling More With Dr. Eggleston
The health benefits of smiling are varied, significant, and easy to take advantage of. Even though missing teeth can make it difficult to smile and laugh, Dr. Eggleston can restore your smile so you can fully enjoy the physical and emotional health benefits of smiling again. To learn more about how Dr. Eggleston can restore your smile with dental implants, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Eggleston, contact our Turlock, CA office by dialing (209) 226-4963 or submit a contact form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are dental implants right for me?
If you have missing or damaged teeth, dental implants may be the solution you’ve been looking for. An implant is securely placed in the jaw bone to replace your missing tooth and provide lasting support for your new prosthetic.
Ideal candidates for dental implants must be relatively healthy and have substantial bone for successful placement. Contact us at (209) 226-4963 to learn more about the ideal candidate for dental implants and our implant solutions.
How does the dental implant procedure work?
Dental implants are placed directly into the jawbone, replacing the roots of the teeth that are missing. The implant is made out of titanium, allowing it to fuse naturally with your jawbone in a process called osseointegration.
The artificial root then allows Dr. Eggleston to secure your choice of restoration so they feel comfortable and blend in with your surrounding teeth. Since there are several types of dental implants available to you, each surgery will be performed differently according to the specific treatment plan you chose.