10 WAYS A WHITER SMILE CAN IMPROVE YOUR SOCIAL LIFE

We are social creatures! Our mood, behavior and life choices are heavily influenced by others. We strive for love, friendship, and companionship, and we suffer when we don’t get them.

The better your social life, the better your mental health, your career prospects, and even your health.

It only makes sense that we would want to do everything we can to improve our social lives, and while some of the solutions are clear and obvious (join groups, take up a hobby, etc.,) others are less so. For instance, there are a number of ways that simply having whiter teeth can improve your social life!

 

1. YOU CAN MAKE GREAT FIRST IMPRESSIONS

We all make snap judgments when we see someone for the first time and it is said that 4 out of 10 will notice a smile before anything else!

A smile tells you a lot about someone, and, where first impressions are concerned, it’s an essential weapon in getting your true nature across. If your teeth are yellow, it suggests ill-health, smoking, drinking, and bad breath. Those things might not be true, but first impressions are made subconsciously, so we don’t have time to analyze whether they are true or not.

The whiter your smile, the easier it will be for you to make new friends, to fit into new friendship circles, and even to find a partner!

2. IT IMPROVES YOUR CONFIDENCE

So many lonely people are in the position they are in because they lack confidence and self-belief. They have the desire to make friends and they might be chatty, friendly and confident behind a computer screen, but when they are in the real world they shrink away from interactivity and suffer as a result.

There are many Americans in this position who are suffering in their social life and their career because they don’t have the confidence to smile.

3. YOU APPEAR MORE ATTRACTIVE

It’s just reality. Our eyes are naturally more drawn to a whiter smile. They’re like a shiny penny; they just catch the eye.

Due to the fact that whiter smiles draw the eye, a whiter smile also draws attention. A bright, white smile is just plain more attractive.

As people are more attracted to us, we smile at them more in return for their attention.

A whiter smile is more attractive in itself. And, as your whiter teeth will make you smile more, this gives you lots of opportunities to show them off.

Smiling more will also make you seem more attractive to potential friends and partners. You'll show yourself as the kind of person that people enjoy being around, and as someone who enjoys themselves too.

Brighter teeth are also a sign that you take care of your health and overall appearance, which others are sure to find attractive.

4. YOU HAVE MORE SELF-CONFIDENCE

Seeing is believing. And what we see directly affects our perception. So when we see a beautiful white smile, we typically perceive that as confidence.

When a person has radiant white teeth, they tend to want people to see them—especially if we went to a lot of trouble to have that white smile. A white smile boosts our self-confidence in ways that are apparent to those around us.

This means that you look more confident to people. More confidence translates into greater capability. That leads to you feeling even more confident.

Who isn’t more social when their confidence is bolstered?

5. YOU SEEM FRIENDLIER

The more you smile, the friendlier you seem and the more approachable you are as a result!

Your smile can be a major reason for this. If you have yellow teeth, you will be less inclined to expose them. You may be embarrassed about them, in which case you develop half-smirks, nods, and attempted smiles as a way of portraying your feelings to others.

This might seem like an acceptable substitute for you, but to someone else, it shows a lack of interest, a lack of openness, and that hurts relationships.

6. YOUR OUTLOOK IS MORE POSITIVE

Have you ever tried intentionally smiling more? Something happens to you when you smile more. Your attitude changes.

The act of smiling regularly doesn’t simply change the way others see you, it changes the way you see them.

Whiter teeth mean more smiles. More smiles lead to an improvement in your mood. A natural mood booster? Yes, please.

Guess who else likes somebody in a good mood? Ummm … other people. Other people enjoy being around somebody in a good mood.

7. GIVE OTHERS A MOOD BOOST

A good mood is contagious. So when that good vibe you’re exuding from a great smile comes in contact with other people, you can guess what happens. It boosts their mood, too!

We are social creatures. Think about what happens when a baby smiles at you in the grocery store. You smile back. (If you don’t smile back at a precious baby, your heart is frozen. Smile at those babies!)

And how do you feel when you exchange smiles? Our bodies respond by releasing happy hormones. (Unless it’s a creepy smile. Then you just turn tail and run. Seriously. Get away.)

 

8. IT’S A GREAT CONVERSATION STARTER

Modern society is a little vain, we all know that. But, that’s not necessarily a bad thing! We take pride in our appearance and when you consider that looking good usually results from eating well and taking good care of ourselves, it’s a healthy attitude to have.

It’s also one that makes us obsessed with beauty. If you have perfectly white teeth, you’ll get a lot of questions about them, you’ll get a lot of attention and you’ll be able to strike up conversations easily with potential friends and dates.

Whether you’re a naturally shy person or the most confident person in the room, it’s always easier to make friends when you’re not the one breaking the ice.

9. YOU HAVE A MORE YOUTHFUL APPEARANCE

Aging means thinner enamel and much darker dentin showing through, giving the teeth a yellow appearance. Our teeth also accumulate stains as we age that contribute to the yellow shade.

We associate whiter teeth with good oral health and vitality. In other words, a person automatically seems younger when their smile is bright white.

When we feel and look younger than we are, we tend to be more chatty and definitely more social.

10. YOU LIVE LONGER

Last but not least, a whiter smile may prolong your life, allowing you to enjoy more of it, to meet more new people and to have more exciting relationships.

Loneliness is said to be as deadly as obesity (and it can actually be a cause of obesity) and it can also lead to an increased risk of substance abuse and suicide. And when your mental health is good, you're confident, which has a positive impact on your immune system and your cardiovascular health.

The more you care for your teeth, the better your oral health will be, which is important when you consider that gum disease is linked with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.

Even the simple act of smiling more could add years to your life, and as we have already discussed, the better your oral health and the whiter your teeth, the more inclined you will be to smile.