You’ve heard the saying ‘laughter is the best medicine’, but what if there was some merit to this old commonplace? This sentiment has been carried forwards even from the Bible itself, with Proverb 17:22 proclaiming that ‘A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. Modern science has proven that are many health benefits to smiling and laughter, both mentally and physically, but how does this relate to Invisalign? Well, if you don’t feel comfortable or confident in your smile then you’re not going to want to smile in the first place, possibly cheating yourself out of all of the following health benefits… How could Invisalign boost your mental health?

When we don’t like our smile, we don’t smile

Feeling self-conscious about your teeth isn’t nice at all. When you feel you can’t smile, grin, or laugh openly without the intrusive thoughts of needing to cover your teeth, you aren’t getting the most out of yourself. For some people, they might feel more confident with whiter teeth (for which we’d recommend teeth whitening), but for others straightening their teeth might work miracles. Straightening your teeth with Invisalign provides great results after an average of 9-15 months of treatment! Plus, they’re clear and removable, so they’re virtually undetectable and easily popped out for a photo op. The point here is that if you’re not comfortable with how your teeth look, you find them crooked, and you shy away from true smiles and laughter, you’re not experiencing the full health benefits of smiling.

You might like the many health benefits of teeth straightening.

How smiling affects your mental health

When we smile and laugh, the movements of our muscles send signals to our brains telling them that we are experiencing happiness or amusement. Our brain then releases serotonin and endorphins, the happiness hormones or ‘feel-good chemicals, that make us feel happy and reduce perceptions of pain. Similarly, this process also reduces the production of the stress hormone, cortisol, which is responsible for anxiety and tension that can manifest physically in our body. This is how smiling and laughter can relax the body, too, because it relieves this built-up tension and stress in our muscles. Even when you fake a smile these beneficial hormones are released, so you don’t necessarily need to be amid a laughing fit to boost your mental health.

How laughter affects your heart and lungs

Laughing regularly lowers your blood pressure, increases blood flow, and improves the function of blood vessels. By laughing, you could be decreasing your risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and other cardiovascular problems. Also, when we laugh we are continuously filling our lungs with oxygen. We let a lot of air out and a lot of air in, which isn’t dissimilar to the deep breathing exercises used to relieve stress. We send more oxygen-rich nutrients and blood throughout the body when we laugh, boosting our being. Laughing for 15 minutes can burn as many as 40 calories in a day!

Healthy and happy smiles mean healthy and happy patients! When we feel confident in our teeth, we feel confident in smiling. If you don’t feel great about your teeth because of their gaps or crooked alignment, Invisalign could help. Enquire online or speak to a member of our team on 01904 653356 to feel the benefit of Invisalign in York.

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