A study completed by the National Institutes of Health reports, “The smile is perhaps the most widely studied facial expression of emotion.” The article goes on the explore the smile’s “status as a sign of physical dominance.”
Physical dominance mattered a great deal to our ancestors, particularly when hunters hunted. The biggest of men won over the most savage of beasts.
Today’s demands are far different. Our society has evolved into one that values compassion and empathy over physical dominance. Getting that new job requires great listening skills. Making a relationship work in this day and age demands a great deal of self-awareness and humility. Securing ones desired earnings calls for a high level of emotional intelligence.
“We reason,” the report reads, “on the basis of prior research, that prior to a physical confrontation, smiles are a nonverbal sign of reduced hostility and aggression, and thereby unintentionally communicate reduced physical dominance.”
They completed two studies to confirm these findings:
The first finds, “Professional fighters who smiled more in a prefight photograph taken facing their opponent performed more poorly during the fight in relation to their less intensely smiling counterparts.”
The second shows, “Untrained observers judged a fighter as less hostile and aggressive, and thereby less physically dominant when the fighter’s facial expression was manipulated to show a smiling expression in relation to the same fighter displaying a neutral expression.”
Why does this matter?
When physical dominance is reduced, others are invited in. Doors open to new opportunities.
A smile that is restored to its natural beauty, whether by dentures , implants , crowns , or a dental bridge , has a ripple effect on those around the person smiling. This may be why so many dental practices witness patients having more confidence, making highly sought after career changes, starting new relationships and even earning more after having their smiles restored.
What ripple effect would a smile makeover have on your life?
