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Everyone loves to smile. And while having beautiful, white teeth is certainly a reason to start showing off your pearly whites, it’s definitely not the only reason to pull a grin. In fact, research shows that smiling can do more than win you Miss Congeniality in a beauty pageant or make for a better selfie. In fact, you should start smiling more – your health will thank you. Here’s why.

Smiling lowers your heart rate

That’s right. Next time your kids are screaming and you’re watching the clock as it makes you later and later for work, try to smile (okay, it might take some effort). Why? Because smiling can actually lower your heart rate. In clinical studies, people who grinned actually had lower heart rates and reduced stress levels. How come? Some think it’s because smiling sends a message to your brain, saying, “You’re happy. Calm down.” Hey, we’ll take it!

Smiling is contagiousreasons-to-smile

Like Buddy the Elf says, smiling should be your favorite. Why? Because when you smile, others will follow suite. Don’t believe us? Try it on the street. Whether you smile at strangers, family or the barista at Starbucks, we’ll bet you a latte they’ll all smile back.

Smiling reduces stress

Feeling a little stressed out lately? We don’t blame you. These days, life is faster than ever. From morning commutes to important meetings to work deadlines to soccer practice and family dinner, we’ve all got plenty on our plates. But that stress isn’t doing you any good. Studies have shown that smiling actually reduces feelings of stress, especially in multi-tasking situations. And honestly, who isn’t multi-tasking these days?

Smiling makes you look younger

Umm, hello natural facelift! A study in Psychology and Aging verified that, when study participants looked at photos of people who were smiling, they guessed that the people in the photos were younger than in pictures where they were not smiling. Bottom line? Lose a few years and break a smile!

Smiling induces laughter

Who doesn’t love to laugh? And guess what? Laughing really is the best medicine, since studies show that it actually helps induce positive responses within the body. These include reducing stress, diminishing pain, boosting immunity, and even increasing your energy levels. And since most laughs begin with a smile, well, it’s just another reason to start grinning more often.

Smiling boots your immune system

reasons-to-smileForget the flu shot; just smile more often! Okay, so you should probably still get a shot, but research actually shows that you can naturally boost your immunity by smiling more often. Smiling actually causes your body to produce more white blood cells, which help fight illnesses. Talk about the best medicine!

Now that you know all the reasons you should smile, why not put some time into making yours as dazzling as possible! A visit to our office can help you maximize the beauty of your pearly whites. Believe us, you’ll be smiling – and reducing stress, boosting immunity, looking younger and laughing out loud – in no time!