Whether it’s in person, Facetime, or Zoom, meeting someone for the first time means sizing each other up within seconds. This process isn’t even something you’re fully aware of, but it’s one of the reasons why we don’t get a second chance at first impressions. Since it’s impossible to convey who we truly are to another person in the blink of an eye, this initial assessment is mainly based on something we refer to as psychological cues. These describe the nonverbal ways we communicate with each other and include things like our posture, gestures, and eye contact. Your smile can also be a strong psychological cue, and is one of the most important tools you have when interacting with others.
A happy smile can signal a number of positive qualities to people, such as confidence, courage, and intelligence. If you don’t like the way your teeth look, however, you may be actively hiding your smile. This can actually have a negative effect on your personal and professional life. Fortunately, Sohn Orthodontics can help you achieve a smile you’ll want to share with everyone around you. But first, let’s discuss why smiling is important in the first place. Keep reading below to learn more!
Smiling can boost your self-esteem
When you feel good about your smile, you have the freedom to truly be yourself and let your personality shine. The reverse is true, as well—if you don’t like the way your smile looks or feels, it can be difficult to step outside your comfort zone for any reason. This can hinder your ability to be heard in a meaningful way and what you want to communicate may get lost before it ever reaches the intended audience.
Orthodontic treatment with Sohn Orthodontics can give you a smile that not only looks great but feels good, too! When you love the way your smile looks, you’ll be happier with your appearance in general. This will help you feel more confident in yourself, which is something others will definitely pick up on.
Set others at ease with a smile
As we briefly touched on above, a lot of emphasis is placed on physical appearance when it comes to our first impressions, even though it happens subconsciously. In the moment we’re assessing a person before we get to know them, we can usually tell pretty quickly if we’re getting a good vibe off them or not. They’ll be checking us out for the same thing, and a genuine smile is one way to indicate trustworthiness and kindness. This helps put people at ease and starts things off on the right foot in almost any situation.
Smiling sets off a domino effect of happiness
When you’re uncomfortable with your smile, you become accustomed to hiding it, but this is to the detriment of everyone around you! A bright smile can spread a small spark of joy to those around you with very little effort, and since smiling is contagious, this domino effect can brighten everyone’s day in the process.
Smiling also gets your “happy” chemicals flowing! Dopamine increases our feelings of happiness, and serotonin release is associated with reduced stress. When you smile, tiny molecules called neuropeptides also come into play, along with endorphins, which are natural pain relievers. It’s kind of like giving yourself a pep talk every time you smile.
Smiling is linked with many positive qualities
A century ago, researcher Edward Thorndike described a phenomenon he called the “halo effect.” This explained how our brains tend to attribute multiple positive qualities to a person based on us noticing just one positive quality. So what does that have to do with your smile?
This question was interesting to Invisalign, as well, so they enlisted Kelton Global to help answer it by conducting a perception study. The results showed that straight teeth are often perceived as an indicator of numerous positive qualities, including confidence, success, popularity, and wealth.
The study also found that about two-thirds of Americans are more likely to remember attractive features than those that they find to be unpleasant. Judging a book by its cover may not be fair, but since it happens every day, you may as well take advantage of those snap judgments by flashing an unforgettable smile!
Smiling can make you look younger
Even if the benefits we’ve listed above didn’t exist, this one alone would still be worth it! Some studies have shown that the more you smile as an adult, the younger people will perceive you to be. The reverse is true, as well, of course. Those who make a habit of frowning were often categorized as older than they actually were. A big smile is a bit like a natural facelift, if you think about it: when the corners of your mouth turn up that way, it raises your whole face, including the cheeks, jowls, and necks.
Smiling can also make you look thinner! In a recent study done by psychology students, faces that looked sad were flashed on a computer screen. Participants judged them to be heavier than their real weight based on nothing more than a downturned mouth and unhappy expression. If you turn your frown upside down, you could look slimmer without ever counting a calorie! Try it in the mirror sometime to see what a positive difference it can have on your mood.
Find your best smile at Sohn Orthodontics
Here at Sohn Orthodontics, our expert team is committed to helping you achieve a healthy smile that will leave a great first impression, and a lasting one, too! Dr. Sohn has been creating beautiful smiles for patients of all ages in Bridgeville and the surrounding communities for years, and now it’s your turn!
Since there’s no dental referral necessary and we offer FREE consultations, this is the perfect time to take the first step towards the smile you’ve always wanted. Get in touch today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Sohn and let’s get started!