Be Thankful for Your Healthy Smile This Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a time to gather with loved ones and reflect on all the things we're grateful for. While your oral health may not be the first thing that comes...
Our teeth do a great job of getting through daily tasks like speaking, chewing, and smiling. But their roles don’t end with routine activities. The appearance, health, and state of your smile can indicate much larger aspects of your personality and what your life might be like. And when you meet someone new, it’s these factors that they’ll be evaluating when forming a first impression.
Making sure your smile is both attractive and healthy can help you achieve success, both in these interactions and on a larger scale. Scroll down to learn more about what your teeth are telling the world around you, and get in touch if you’re interested in cosmetic dentistry or treating existing dental problems. The sooner you get your grin in shape, the better!
Hidden Information Within Your Smile
- Your relationship success – A 2009 study showed that the way people smile in photographs when young is actually correlated to their eventual success in marriage. By rating smile intensity in college yearbook photos, researchers found that bigger smilers were less likely to divorce down the line, while more solemn individuals were more likely. Another study of childhood photos of participants over 65 showed similar results. This might be related to an inherent “smiliness” being associated with a lower-key, happy-go-lucky approach to life. Bigger smilers may also attract happier partners, with whom they have a happier marriage.
- Fertility – Women with gum disease take an average of 2 additional months to conceive than those without. The link is likely related to increased inflammation caused by gum disease, which can be mirrored elsewhere in the body. With the other diseases that may also impact gum disease, it’s wiser than ever to stay vigilant and avoid gingivitis.
- Finances – A 2012 study examined teenagers’ smiles and then checked them against their earnings by the age of 29. Findings showed that happy, smiley teens earned 10% more than average, with straight-faced teens earning 30% less. This may be related to smiles’ roles in lowering anxiety and stress, with happy people having more mental space to focus on their careers.
- Status – Smiles can show how powerful and popular you really are. A 1998 study found that successful people were more likely to smile when they felt happy, as opposed to smiling when they felt it was necessary for the social or professional setting. In essence, more powerful people have the choice of smiling only when they want to, giving them an air of authority and command.
- Physical strength – A study of professional MMA fighters showed that those who smiled before a match were more likely to lose. This is probably an effect of smiling being related to a lack of dominance or aggression. Those watching the fighters were also surveyed, and while they found the fighters who smiles to be more trustworthy, they also saw them as less physically dominant.
