Living Dental Health

A smile is the universal sign of happiness. When we smile, we show others that we are happy, warm, and kind. The act of smiling makes us appear more approachable and likable and can even help us land a job and get promoted. And while we’ve had our smiles hidden behind masks for almost two years, there are compelling health benefits to smiling – regardless of whether or not someone can see our pearly whites. When you smile, the brain releases neuropeptides to help fight stress. And since stress has been a significant concern lately, we want to help encourage you to get off on the right foot this new year by smiling a little more. But masks aside, some people just don’t like to smile. Sometimes the reason a person avoids smiling is due to shyness or cultural beliefs. Other times, it’s because they feel self-conscious about how they look when smiling. As dental professionals, we like to think of ourselves as smile experts. We see many smiles every day and appreciate the differences in each of them. But when someone reaches out and asks for help improving their smile, Dr. Andy Engel seeks first to understand.