‘Smile is the most underrated medicine ‘ how many times have  we heard this in our lives ?

When we are laughing while watching our favourite show or having a good time with friends and family,  endorphins which are the ‘the good hormones’ are released in our body . 

Endorphins infact combat the cortisol, which is a stress hormone released by adrenal gland . Long term aka overexposure to cortisol and other such stress hormones can disrupt the normal functioning of body. This puts one to increased risk of may health problems,Including and not limited to ..

  • Anxiety 
  • Depression
  • Digestive problems
  • Headaches, memory loss 
  • Weight gain 
  • Heart disease

Hence it is important to learn health ways 8 with your life stressors( Mayoclinic.org )  .

       Cultivating  a sense of humour and finding ways to make humour and laughter a part of our lives can go a long way as being one of the methods to diffuse and reduce stress of our daily lives ! Here are threethings that may prevent us from having a heartful laugh!

  1. Self preference
  2. Under confidence 
  3. Oral health problems 

1)  Self preference /Personal Characteristics

Some individuals  just aren’t used to smiling—they may be reserved  or are self-conscious about their appearance, or might not feel the need to offer smiles to all. They may have been just raised in culture or family where smiling or laughing isn’t quite inclusive!.

2) Underconfidence 

 I vividly remember having treated a patient, she was smart dynamic, running 7 buisnesss but borderline depressive. After taking her complete dental history, we realised she couldn’t smile fully because of her crooked teeth and that subconsciously  made her avoid situations that could make her laugh, nonetheless – smile ! 

After  she completed her smile treatment with us , positive results were up within a few days, she was now more productive and truely enjoying her accomplishments !

3) Oral health problems :

As the thumb rule goes, smiling is a lot easier for those individuals who possess healthy teeth and gums. We probably have experience—either firsthand or witnessing the behavior—of holding a hand over the mouth when talking to others if self-conscious about the appearance of our smiles. Even kids as young as 4 years old may exhibit unconscious sensitivity about the health and appearance of their smiles and be reticent to smile as frequently as kids who have higher levels of oral health (Patel, Tootla, & Inglehart, 2007). When oral disease is cured, you are free mentally and more attuned to enjoy your activities, even day to day ! 

Hence, a smile can make your relationships better, and also it’s an important aspect to make you healthy as it lowers your blood pressure, stress, etc. Invest in yourself wisely, and say goodbye to unhealthy stressful habits with a Smile 🙂 

Author(s)

  • Dr Karishma Vijan

    Dental Surgeon, Author, Philanthropist

    Dr Karishma Vijan is a Mumbai-based practising dentist focusing on cosmetic and restorative dentistry. She has written articles for several national and international scientific journals. After losing a close family acquaintance to cancer, and witnessed the prolonged suffering that came with the disease, Dr Vijan was devastated. She did not want to wait till she was 'old enough' to make a difference to the world through her professional  skills or her intention of philanthropy. She decided to turn her loss into purpose, and thus was born The Unicorn Xpress Foundation & Trust (Tux). The nonprofit's motto is ‘Empowerment through Healthcare’ and it works with underprivileged women across several cities in India. Dr Vijan has received the WEF 2019 prestigious ‘Iconic Women Creating a Better World for All’ award, and has been invited as speaker at Plenary Sessions at the annual international gathering gala edition for the Women Economic Forum, 2019. She has also been named one of the 'Most Inspiring Women in Healthcare across India' as a part of the Bumble Bizz campaign for women. Dr Vijan was also featured in the list of ‘100 Most Impactful Global Healthcare Leaders' at the World Health & Wellness Congress 2019 by ET Now.