Smiling Can Improve Your Health
At DentaCare Dental, maintaining excellent oral hygiene is important for many reasons, one of which is to preserve the appearance of your smile. If your teeth are healthy and attractive, you’ll feel encouraged to smile more often.
In addition to helping you look more youthful and appealing, smiling has been connected to a number of health benefits that you may find surprising. Learn how smiling more often can improve your overall quality of life with our Longview dentist, Dr. Hobbs.
Reduce Your Stress
It’s no secret we have to deal with stress in our lives, and some of us struggle to manage it more than others. According to research, smiling when you feel stressed can actually lower your heart rate and decrease your anxiety. The next time you’re stuck in a stressful situation, stop for a minute and try smiling, see how it affects you.
Enhance Your Mood
Beyond making you look happy, did you know that smiling actually makes you feel happier too? Every time you smile, your brain releases chemicals called endorphins that influence you to feel relaxed and positive. This means that even a fake smile has the power to immediately improve your mood.
Boost Your Confidence
It’s hard to go through life if you feel embarrassed to smile. It impacts your ability to socialize and make friends, harming your self-esteem as a result. When you greet people with a friendly, confident smile, studies show they’ll find you more approachable as a result. If you get anxious about meeting new people, a friendly smile can be all it takes to break the ice.
Extend Your Lifespan
It’s often said that smiling makes you look younger, but research has shown that smiling more often can actually add years to your life. According to a study by Wayne University, people who smile frequently live an average of seven years longer than people who don’t. By keeping you positive and relaxed, smiling helps to lengthen your lifespan.
Smiling is Contagious
In addition to improving your own mood, smiling can lift the spirits of others. When you smile at someone, their brain analyzes the expression and subconsciously reflects it back at you. If you’ve ever seen someone else laughing and smiling and couldn’t help yourself from laughing or smiling back, it’s because of a reflex called facial mimicry. This reflex is what makes smiling contagious.
Frequently Asked Questions
What new things should I expect with dentures?
As with any new dental appliance, dentures may feel uncomfortable at first, usually feeling too big for your mouth. They may cause increased saliva production and altered speech. While you adjust to your new dentures, start by cutting your food into smaller pieces, and avoid hot and hard foods. As time goes by, you’ll become accustomed to your dentures and you’ll be smiling with ease in no time.
Do I still need checkups if I don’t have any natural teeth?
Yes, it’s still important to continue your regular checkups with the dentist after receiving your dentures. Dentists are able to examine your oral tissues and dentures as well as check for other serious issues like oral cancer. As you age, your mouth will continue to change as the bone under your denture shrinks or recedes. To maintain a proper fit over time, it’s necessary to adjust, reline, or remake your dentures.
Never attempt to change or readjust your dentures yourself, or use denture adhesives for a long period of time. If you’re experiencing issues with your dentures, contact our Longview office and we’ll schedule an appointment with Dr. Hobbs for you as soon as possible.
What happens if I don’t replace my missing teeth?
Not only does missing teeth affect your appearance, but it can also bring in further dental complications if left untreated. Such complications can range from:
- Improper bite
- Jawbone deterioration
- Teeth shifting into gaps
- Greater risk of oral infections
Dr. Hobbs strongly recommends having a complete smile with one of our denture solutions in order to prevent the following listed above.
How can I protect my smile?
Maintaining proper oral hygiene can help protect your smile. This includes:
- Brushing your teeth twice a day
- Flossing daily
- Rinsing your mouth with mouthwash after every meal
- Scheduling biannual visits to DentaCare Dental for professional cleanings and checkups
Visit DentaCare Dental for Smile Enhancement
If you want to enjoy all the benefits of a healthy and beautiful smile, contact our Longview practice today at (903) 309-2142 and schedule a free consultation with Dr. Hobbs. You can also fill out our online contact form below and one of our staff will get back to you promptly. We feature a range of customized dentures to meet all of our patients’ needs.
Whether you’re missing one tooth or a whole arch of teeth, Dr. Hobbs will find an ideal solution to restore your smile. Dr. Hobbs is proud to provide his years of expertise to patients in Longview as well as Longview’s surrounding areas including Marshall, Gladewater, Lakeport, Kilgore, and many more!