What Your Smile Says About You

In most countries and cultures around the world, a smile symbolizes happiness. However, happiness is not the only emotion or characteristic that a smile represents. In fact, some studies assert that the meaning of a smile changes depending on the social context. Here are three unexpected traits your smile might reveal about you.

Fertility

Research has linked oral health to overall health, so a healthy smile might indicate sound general health in a person. Similarly, a healthy smile in females might indicate high fertility levels.

According to study findings published in the medical journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, women with periodontal (gum) disease take about two months longer, on average, to conceive than those with healthy gums.

Research has shown a connection between the inflammation that often occurs with gum disease and a greater risk of certain health conditions, such as kidney disease, heart disease and type-2 diabetes. This increase in inflammation may also correlate to increased difficulty conceiving.

High Earning Power

According to a 2012 study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, individuals who were happy as teenagers earned 10 percent more than the national average at the age of 29. Also, individuals who were despondent as teenagers earned 30 percent less than the national average, at the same age. Thus, if you smiled often during your adolescence, you may be earning more than your peers who were glum adolescents, now that you are an adult.

One possible explanation for the findings of the study is that joyous individuals have fewer concerns and therefore greater unobstructed mental capacity to dedicate to job performance. Of course, performing a job well typically leads to higher earnings.

Power

A person’s smile may also be a symbol of his or her social status. A study published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology demonstrates that powerful individuals smiled exclusively when they felt happy. Meanwhile, individuals with less social power than the people they were interacting with smiled in spite of their actual emotions.

Why is this? It is possible that the less powerful individuals felt compelled to smile as a way of ingratiating themselves to the individuals who had more social clout.

Need a Healthier Smile?

If you desire a healthier smile that properly reflects your charismatic personality — as well as perhaps your fertility or earning power — contact Northfield Dental Group for help. We offer a range of dental treatments and cosmetic dentistry options to give you a healthy, beautiful smile.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Stein, Dr. Widmayer or Dr. Shapiro to learn more about your dental treatment options, contact Northfield Dental Group by calling(973) 736-0111.