People often say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. That may well be true, but if so, then the mouth is the door to the soul. Your mouth reveals more about you than anything your eyes will tell, although there is certainly a partnership between them.
Your Smile Is Who You Are in People’s Minds
To a great extent, your smile is who you are in the minds of other people. Your smile is what people notice first when they see you. It’s also what they’re most likely to remember after a first encounter. That’s why your smile is so critical to your personal brand.
Your smile reinforces your identity every time you share it. People feel rewarded when they see another person smile, and this psychological reward makes you more memorable because it acts as positive reinforcement in the brain.
When people recall an individual they’ve lost, they always think of that person’s smile, and talk about it with others, because that’s to a great extent who the person is.
Your Words Come from Your Mouth
Another vital part of how we are remembered also comes from our mouth: our words. When we speak, our lips and teeth work together to create the sounds that people know us by.
But speaking isn’t just an audible phenomenon, it’s visual, too. People watch our lips and teeth–it’s part of how they make sense of our sounds. And in watching your mouth, they are also remembering how they look. They remember not just your words, but the appearance of your mouth and teeth.
What Is Your Smile Saying about You?
Your teeth are just a physical part of your body, but people clearly perceive them as something more. We know this because of the way people respond to a smile. When people look at your smile, they are making judgments that reflect more than your teeth.
A person with a more attractive smile is thought to be healthier, of course, because your oral health is closely related to your overall health. But people will also conclude that you’re smarter, more successful, and even more compassionate if you have a healthier, more attractive smile. It’s part of our nature to make these kinds of judgments.
The type of smile we give is also important. People with open-mouthed, friendly smiles make others feel more relaxed and comfortable, while close-mouthed smiles designed to hide teeth can give a negative feeling.
Let Your True Self Shine Through
When people are unhappy with their smile because of unattractive or damaged teeth, they wear a mask of stifled or concealed smiles. This keeps your true self hidden from those around you. If you want to be free to express your true self, you need to be comfortable with your smile.
If you’re looking for a smile that will make it easy to express yourself, we can help you with a smile makeover. And utilizing Digital Smile Design (DSD), we can make sure that your smile is in harmony with your eyes and your other features.
To learn more, please call 703) 323-8200 today for an appointment with Fairfax County cosmetic dentist Dr. Pamela Marzban in Burke, VA.
