The surprising ways healthy smiles contribute to overall health
Healthy smiles can make you and others around you feel good as you exude confidence and trust while enjoying a better chance of physical health. Smiling can affect your immune system, provide natural stress relief, and even be contagious as others often mimic the expression.
The American Heart Association found a link between periodontal disease and coronary artery disease, as those with gum disease had a 1.7 times greater risk of this heart condition.
By practicing better hygiene from proper brushing and flossing and staying on top of your bi-annual dental check-up, you’re taking steps to avoid other chronic issues that could have major health consequences.
How Do Healthy Smiles Help Wellness?
A nice smile has mental, physical, and social impacts. Studies have shown that smiling helps lower cortisol levels while releasing endorphins.
Even if you’re smiling by yourself, it naturally elevates your mood and makes you feel more relaxed. Physically, smiling helps to relieve tension and also boosts immune cell and antibody function.
With a healthy immune system, you can fight off viruses and illness. You’ll decrease your heart rate and blood pressure, which is essential to overall longevity.
People also feel more comfortable and trusting of those who smile more. They’re more likely to approach you, which can affect your social friendships and romantic relationships, and put you ahead in work and economic opportunities.
How Can I Practice Better Dental Health?
Solid dental hygiene starts with daily brushing and flossing twice a day. Some people even use a tongue scraper to remove additional bacteria from the tongue. Start brushing for about 2 full minutes and flossing after every meal.
Continue your holistic health by watching what you eat. Foods that are high in sugar can wreak havoc on your teeth and cause decay.
Dental appointments are also part of this, as your dentist can find issues before they worsen. Untreated gum disease can cause loose teeth, which affects proper eating and digestion.
They can also give you advice on better hygiene practices, like brushing techniques.
What Is a Smile Makeover?
When you visit Sencak Orthodontics, you’re taking the first step in achieving the perfect smile that more people will be attracted to. Treatment options such as Invisalign or clear braces can help straighten teeth.
If your teeth are misaligned, it can affect how well you eat and create hard-to-reach overlapped areas that are hard to properly clean. Once your teeth are properly aligned, you can enhance them further with teeth whitening.
This procedure may take as little as an hour, and results can last for several months to over a year, depending on what you eat and drink.
Oral Health Benefits Expand Beyond Your Mouth
Healthy smiles aren’t just a cosmetic option, as they can affect other areas of your health, from your heart to your mental health. When you feel confident in your teeth, it shows, and you’re much more likely to smile at other people.
Doing so can open up social and work opportunities that can continue to benefit your life in other ways.
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