Dr. Tim M. Verwest

Smiling Can Go A Long Way

Smiling is something most people do without even thinking about it most of the time. You might smile at a familiar face, something that you find funny, or for no reason other than you’re in a good mood. There is actually more to smiling than just a reaction to your surroundings. Smiling can actually make you happier, healthier, relaxed, and much more!

Smiling makes you happier

Most people smile when they’re happy, but smiling also makes people happy. Your body knows that smiling is associated with happiness. Endorphins are released in your body when you smile. Endorphins are the chemicals in your body that make you feel happier. Smiling even if you don’t feel happy will make your mood happier to match your smile.

Smiling relaxes

The same endorphins that make you happier can also make you less stressed. These endorphins spread around your body easing tension and acting as a natural pain killer for your body in any stressful situation. Smiling also reduces the activity of cortisol which is a hormone that is more active when you are stressed. The less cortisol, the less negative feelings which means more positive feelings.

Smiling boosts productivity

You’re more apt to work when you’re in a good mood. If you were in a bad mood and you needed to do something that wasn’t that enjoyable, you probably wouldn’t be as motivated as you would be in a good mood. we know now, smiling boosts your mood so smiling while working will make work more enjoyable for you.

Smiling is contagious

Everyone wants to make the world a better place, why not start with a smile? University of Wisconsin-Madison Ph.D. student in psychology, Adrienne Wood, studied the effects of smiling on other people. She concluded that sensorimotor simulation in our brains is what causes us to smile at other people that smile without even realizing it. The researchers concluded that we trigger the same emotional state in ourselves as the person we are mimicking, which allows us to make an appropriate social response.

Smiling creates trust

Imagine you’re on a street with vendors on it. One looks bored and uninterested while the other is making eye-contact and smiling; which one do you think you would go to? It goes without saying you would be more attracted to do business with the one that is smiling and looks happy. If you smile, other people are more likely to trust you because trust and happiness are usually related.

Although there are many reasons to smile:

“We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do” – Mother Teresa

Animals Have Chompers, Too

Ever wonder how many teeth certain animals have? How they use them? If they’re any different from ours? Well we have some answers! Let’s take a walk through the wild and discover some fun facts about our animal friends and their pearly whites.

Giraffes: These guys have the same amount of teeth as humans do!- 32 to be precise. The only difference is they have no upper front teeth; most of their teeth are located towards the back of their mouth.

Rabbits: These little fella’s teeth never stop growing! An adult rabbit has about 28 teeth and must chew on tough foods to file their teeth down from getting too long.

Elephants: Their teeth are considered to be their tusks. Like rabbits, their extra long incisors never stop growing.

Sharks: How do you think it would feel to constantly lose teeth? Sharks would know! Each week they lose at least one tooth. Next time you hit the beach, keep an eye out for any shark teeth that wash ashore!

Hippopotamuses: Want to know who has the longest canine teeth of any animal? Look no further. These guys have incisors up to 3 feet long that can cut through the toughest objects!

Mosquitos: Our microscopic friends have microscopic teeth as well. Surprisingly, they have about 15 more teeth than adult humans, making them have a whopping 47 teeth.

Snails: Do you think mosquitos had a lot of teeth? Try 25,000 on these guys! Their microscopic teeth are located not on the top or bottom of their mouth, but on their tongue.

The one thing that most animals have in common? They’re cavity-free! Unlike humans, their diets aren’t high in sugar and they chew on tougher materials than humans do to consistently keep their teeth clean.

 

 

Sugarless Gum is a Tooth’s Bestfriend

Having a munch on some sugarless gum can have some benefits for keeping your smile spotless! Not only does it remove any food particles from the surfaces of your teeth, but also stimulates saliva production which can promote healthier, stronger teeth and reduce acid levels in your mouth that can cause tooth decay. It even aids any tooth sensitivity! So why only sugarless gum, you ask? Studies have shown that the sugar substitute in sugarless gum, Xylitol, fights against any bacteria that forms in your mouth. With that being said, Xylitol is a great cavity-fighter to keep your mouth a happy and healthy place for your pearly whites!

Pediatric Dentistry of Florida Office Tour

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Meet Buddy the turtle and let him show you around Pediatric Dentistry of Florida (also known as Pediatric Dentistry of Fort Myers). #DrVerwest. We’re Trusted by Parents, Preferred by Kids! For appointments, please call (239) 482-2722.