The Hidden Power of Smiling

As you may know, I am somewhat wonky. I have always attempted to be a lifelong student, and one of the ways I like to expand my horizons is to listen to and/or watch TED presentations. For those who don’t know, TED is an acronym for Technology, Entertainment, and Design. TED conferences have speakers on a wide variety of topics. The slogan of TED is “ideas worth spreading.” You can get a TED app on your tablet or smartphone, or go to their website (ted.com) and listen to talks on a wide variety of topics. TED talks can even be found on iTunes, and you can also listen on your local NPR station.

I believe all dentists should listen to and/or watch Ron Gutman’s TED presentation, “The Hidden Power of Smiling.” The talk is seven and a half minutes long, and it is entertaining, enlightening, and educational. Gutman lists many studies that detail the physiologic and psychological benefits of smiling. Although I had heard some of these mentioned before, there were several studies I was unaware of.

Did you know that people’s success and well-being can be predicted on the quality of their smiles in their high school year book photos? Well, it can, according to a study out of the University of California, Berkley. A study out of Wayne State University that looked at the smiles on pre-1950 baseball cards showed that the players with the biggest smiles outlived the non-smiling players by seven years. Smiling makes us feel better by producing endorphins, reducing levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, and even reducing blood pressure. And according to a study out of Penn State, when you are smiling you appear more attractive, more likeable, and even more competent.

So my take-home message is that I need to smile more if:

• I want a happier, longer life

• I want to feel better

• I want people to view me as competent, likeable, and attractive

Now, I know there are many reasons for people to smile or not smile. But if some people don’t smile because they are embarrassed at the way their smiles appear, then as dentists we can provide a great service to our patients. If we remove the embarrassment, patients can smile more, and smile bigger, which should make them feel better; live happier and longer; and appear more attractive, likeable, and competent.

-Dr. Bart Benson