There is a reason why it only takes as little as 5 muscles to smile and 42 to frown – our bodies are naturally programed to glean as many benefits from smiling as possible.
Regardless of age, language or culture a smile means the same thing to everyone. Yet at the same time can mean many things. What is a smile exactly? It is a complex and complicated action that for humans can mean everything from seeing a loved one after a long absence to laughing to finally getting revenge on your sworn enemy. Even the Joker smile and that scared the heck out of all of us.
In this blog post it gives the top 15 facts about smiling. The most fascinating fact? Smiling boosts the immune system. Maybe that is why grumpy people are always sick? I guess I will just walk around the office smiling next time someone with a cold walks through the halls.
For some patients, hiding their smile is one of the biggest motivators to get them into the dentist. So the next time a patient says “I just won’t smile”, they have 15 more reasons why that isn’t such a great idea!