Just a couple weeks ago dental implants Stratford, CT provider Dr. Hoos and the rest of his staff at Brush and Floss Dental Center posted an article regarding which foods are the best for your smile.
Today we want to take a closer look at smiles themselves, or rather, just what makes up a smile and why we do it in the first place.
The Power of A Smile
A smile is a lot like a fingerprint. Each one is different and each one makes up a particular part of a person’s identity. However, have you ever noticed that no matter who the person is, where they come from or what language they speak, every smile says just about the same thing; happiness.
A smile is the universal sign for satisfaction and joy around the world. It is also a commonly understood greeting nearly everywhere on earth. Even when you are a young baby, with no communication skills whatsoever, or any understanding of the world, you still know how to smile, and the most amazing part is that you do so instinctively. When you take these facts into consideration, it’s really no wonder why people go to such great lengths in order to care for, repair, and preserve their smiles.
What is A Smile, Then?
In simple terms, a smile is an involuntary reflex response to positive stimuli in your life. Smiles work in tandem with something called endorphins in your body.
What are endorphins?
Well, if you have ever felt extremely happy about something, or excited, the feeling you get throughout your body is partly due to endorphins. Think back to the first time you ever received a kiss from someone you loved. That feeling immediately after, well you can call that an endorphin rush.
If you try and think back to that moment just a little harder, we bet you’ll remember the smile that could not be wiped from your face. No matter how hard you tried, it wasn’t budging.
See? It’s all connected. In fact smiling actually releases endorphins.
The Anatomy of A Smile
So, now that we know the psychology behind a smile, how do we actually manage to do so in the first place, from an anatomical point of view? Well, let’s take a look.
- Forehead (Frontalis Muscle)
- Eyelids (Orbicularis occuli)
- Corners of the Mouth (Zygomaticus Major)
- Upper Lip (Upper Orbicularis oris)
- Neck (Platysma Muscle)
- Nose (Procerus Muscle)
- Nostrils (Levator labil superioris)
- Cheeks (Buccinator Muscle)
- Jaw (Masseter Muscle)
- Lower Lip (Mentalis Muscle)
Holy cow! It turns out cracking a smiling is a real workout for your face!
We hope you enjoyed this in depth look at smiles as much as we did!
Until next time readers, keep smiling.