By: Anna Marie Mazoch, D.D. S

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase (thanks to Louis Armstrong), “smile and the whole world smiles with you”. Nevertheless, did you know that scientific evidence backs up this claim? Broad, happy grins provoke health benefits, too. Read on to learn some very interesting facts about the benefits of smiling:

• Experiments in Sweden show that, when exposed to smiling faces, participants also smiled, even subconsciously, and found it difficult to frown. Smiling absolutely is contagious!
• Athletes who were pictured on baseball cards and smiling broadly, according to a Wayne State University study, lived an average 4.9 years longer than those with a partial grin. Amazingly, the full-on smilers lived an average 7 years longer than the athletes who did not smile at all. If you want to live longer, beam those pearly whites!
• Orbit Complete concluded that 69% of test subjects found women more attractive who are smiling than who are wearing makeup.
• Psychologists report that smiling, even a forced grin, can boost your mood. Smiling causes the release of endorphins, reducing stress and improving relaxation.
• Babies are born with the ability to smile. They will smile in their sleep within two hours of birth. Although many actions are learned by watching, even blind babies will smile.
• Smiling makes you appear more attractive, confident, and social and more likely to get promoted in your work.
• Nearly all American adults (99.7%) believe that an attractive smile is an important social asset. 90% of Americans believe that an attractive smile makes you more attractive to the opposite sex, while 76% believe that an unattractive smile can hurt one’s chances for career success.

Smiling is a universal sign of happiness. Every culture on earth understands the meaning of a smile. A beautiful smile is important to your health, happiness, and success in life. If you are ashamed of your smile due to dark or missing teeth, bad breath or crooked teeth, you are missing all the benefits that a healthy grin provides. If you are embarrassed because you have neglected your oral health, don’t worry about it; all we care about is that you have taken the step to regain health. If you are afraid of the procedures of dentistry, don’t be afraid any longer; modern dentistry can be painless and stress free. Just ask our patients who fall asleep in the dental chair while we are performing our treatment!

If you are interested in improving your dental health and appearance, call our office today. My team and I are always happy to answer any questions you may have and consultations for a simple opinion are free of charge.

Testimonial:

My visit to Dr. Mazoch’s office today for a filling and repair was a pleasure. Not scary at all! My teeth were very quickly and expertly repaired and I felt no pain at all. (I worried about this day so much and didn’t need to at all.) Dr. Mazoch and all of her staff are pure professionals in everything they do right down to the smallest detail. I would recommend this practice to anyone.

Dr. Anna Marie Mazoch received her B.S. degree in Biology, summa cum laude, from Ohio University and her D.D.S. from Northwestern University. She is a member of the American Dental Association, the Delaware State Dental Society and several local dental study clubs. She has been practicing general dentistry for 32 years, first in Cincinnati, then Montpelier, Vermont, and the past 11 years in Delaware. Her keen interest in continuing education for herself and her staff stems from a quote by G. V. Black, the first dean of Northwestern University Dental School and the father of modern dentistry: “The professional (wo)man has no right to be other than a continuous student”.