In my Beverly Hills cosmetic dentistry practice I have seen amazing changes when patients get a smile makeover. Men often shave their facial hair, women may change their hairstyles and even their makeup. All of them smile more which is wonderful – and new research shows that smiling can actually reduce stress.
University of Kansas researchers gave students anxiety-inducing tasks. The students had to perform these tasks three times: once while not smiling, once with a smile on their face, and once more while holding chopsticks in their teeth to force a smile. It turns out that any kind of smile, genuine or faked with chopsticks helped reduce stress for the students. The stress levels dipped even lower when the students used a “real” smile.
“Age-old adages such as ‘grin and bear it’, have suggested smiling to be not only an important non-verbal indicator of happiness but also wishfully promotes smiling as a panacea for life’s stressful events said researcher Tara Kraft. Co-author Sarah Pressman added “the next time you are stuck in traffic or are experiencing some other type of stress, you might try to hold your face in a smile for a moment. Not only will it help you ‘grin and bear it’ psychologically, but it might actually help your heart health as well.”
As a cosmetic dentist I know how powerful a smile can be. Unfortunately too many people hate how their teeth look so they avoid smiling and laughing. If nature didn’t give you the perfect Beverly Hills smile then it is time to make a change. Cosmetic dentistry can change just one tooth or give you an entire smile makeover – it all depends on what you want from your smile. Improving the appearance of your smile may be easier and cost less than you think.
Find out more about Beverly Hills cosmetic dentistry by meeting with Dr. David Frey for a consultation. Please contact Dr. Frey today at 310-276-4537 to schedule your appointment.
