“I will never understand all the good that a simple smile can accomplish.”
-Mother Teresa
At the core level, all of us in the Dental Profession are in the business of making smiles. This may take the form of helping patients improve their oral health, or it can be taken quite literally as in helping patients achieve the smile of their dreams. It can also be taken in a more abstract form of touching our patient’s lives in such a way that causes them to smile. All good!
But, have you ever considered the real power of a smile? If so, you are not alone. There have been a number of studies done on the power of a smile. In a recent TED Talk, Ron Gutman reviews a host of studies about smiles and reports some very compelling information. You may be familiar with the TED Talks. TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is a global set of conferences created by the private American non-profit Sapling Foundation formed to disseminate “ideas worth sharing.” The TED speakers are given a maximum of 18 minutes to present their ideas in the most innovative and engaging ways they can. Past presenters include Jane Goodall, Malcolm Gladwell, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, and many Nobel Prize winners.
Here is a link of Ron Gutman’s TED Talk, titled, ‘The Hidden Power of Smiling’:
As you will see in this fascinating video clip, the power of a smile is quite profound. Did you know that smiling can predict how long you will live? How fulfilling your marriage will be? Your smile can predict your future happiness and well-being and how inspiring you will be to others. In another study, Mr. Gutman discovered that a smile can produce the same brain stimulation as received by eating 2,000 chocolate bars! He also discovered that smiling can actually reduce your blood pressure.
So……If you want to live a longer, healthier and happier life, SMILE and Keep Smiling!
