"Peace begins with a smile. I will never understand all the good that a simple smile can accomplish.” — Mother Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu
A smile’s power is unmeasurable. Although simple, this biologically uniform expression can benefit all of us in countless ways. Like a rock down a mountain, a smile gains momentum as it passes from person to person. As we enter another year of the pandemic and COVID-19 cases continue to surge with the Omicron variant, we could all use more smiles in our lives.
Mother Teresa was right. Peace – whether within or outside oneself – begins with a smile. Smiling can improve your health and emotional wellbeing in so many ways. It reduces blood pressure, pain, and stress while increasing mood-enhancing hormones. It can strengthen your immune system. And you could even live longer by smiling, studies show. A smile can make you look more attractive and youthful, and help you appear more confident and approachable.
Smiling is contagious, too. One smile will usually lead to someone reciprocating with a smile. And grinning benefits the receiver just as much as the giver. When you smile at someone, it’s the brain stimulation equivalent of giving them 2,000 bars of chocolate or $25,000 in cash! So, spread more happiness with a smile instead of cash and chocolates.
At the root of every healthy smile is good oral health. The mouth can house early warning signs for diseases, such as cancer and Alzheimer’s. Researchers also are finding connections between oral health and COVID-19. This study found that gum disease may result in higher rates of complications and more fatal outcomes for individuals diagnosed with COVID-19.
On the surface, an unhealthy smile with missing or crooked teeth, or uncomfortable dentures can impact your self-esteem, professional prospects and quality of life. It can cause you to shy away from social situations and cover or close your mouth when you smile.
Smiling is an instinctual part of life, even before birth. Babies’ earliest smiles are reflux smiles in the womb. As we grow, a conscious smile marks a developmental milestone. Our gender, culture and ethnicity can impact how much we smile. For instance, women smile more than men. But we can all learn from children who grin as much as 400 times daily.
Smiling is the one gesture that has a universal meaning. It can break down barriers, diffuse tension and create trust. These days, we could all use more peace in our lives by smiling.
You may not feel like there’s much to smile about right now. You may ask, what’s the point of smiling if no one will see it behind a face mask? But a mask can’t hide your smiling eyes and other facial expressions. In 2022, join me in spreading health and happiness with a smile.
Michael S. Reddy, DMD, DMSc
Dean and Associate Vice Chancellor, Oral Health Affairs