Posted on January 20, 2021
A smile can be a peculiar thing, as it is tangible and intangible. While a smile appears to be nothing more than some facial expressions and a showing of teeth, it has the possibility to uplift moods and change lives. A poor smile can create a bad first impression just as easily as a nice smile can lift someone out of depression. One of the components of a good smile is having straight teeth, which has historically meant traditional braces.
In the past, many people who were born with less-than-straight teeth had only a couple of choices to reverse this feature. Until recently, almost all those choices involved some form of metal braces or other orthodontic hardware that was unsightly and costly. But today, since the invention of invisible braces, more adults than ever are correcting their smiles with ease. In fact, these days some 4 million Americans are wearing braces, according to the American Association of Orthodontists.
Invisible braces aren’t just great because they work, but because there are some surprising mental health benefits that go along with improving your smile this way. It is a rather seamless way to go from being self-conscious about your appearance to having healthy self-esteem. So, we’d like to elaborate on the mental health benefits of Invisalign and other non-metal braces.
It should be no surprise that when you’ve got a quality pair of invisible braces, you tend to smile more. And psychology tells us that people who smile more tend to have higher levels of self-esteem. This is because when we smile, we release a chemical called dopamine that makes us feel good. A smile really can be a mood-booster. This is why many self-help books and positive psychology advocates recommending smiling as often as possible. It will certainly also help you to frown less by smiling more.
Before you had braces, your teeth may have been misaligned or prone to grinding. This can cause discomfort, which can dampen your mood rather quickly. If you’ve ever talked to someone with a chronic pain issue, this is a common complaint. But if you pursue invisible braces and have any teeth alignment or grinding issues resolved, you will simply feel better by eliminating any discomfort that was arising.
There is an old adage that says “the clothes make the man.” While any one of us could spend lots of money on new clothes to change our self-esteem, we can’t wear them forever. It is, at best, a semi-permanent improvement that you must eventually take off. But when you improve your smile, it is much more akin to working out or eating correctly in that you have pursued an overall lifestyle change that is more permanent. In turn, this will increase your confidence and boost your self-esteem in the long run as you become the best version of yourself.
When your teeth are misaligned, grinding, or in discomfort, sometimes your eating patterns get messed up or change for the worse. You may gravitate toward unhealthy foods or drinks to cope with this issue and suffer poor nutrition in the process. By fixing your teeth and bite with invisible braces, you’ll have your teeth in tip-top shape and ready to eat a wide variety of foods that will make you feel better while tasting just as good.
Humans are social animals by nature, unless we have an issue that is causing us anxiety. If you don’t like your smile or teeth, you are less prone to smiling and may come off as unfriendly. In turn, this may give you social anxiety and cause other mental health issues. By fixing your smile and getting you back to your optimal self (especially with braces that no one can see), you will most likely reduce anxiety and therefore be more comfortable in social situations.
Investing in invisible braces is not only an investment in your physical health but in your mental health as well. Start your journey with Invisalign by contacting Orthodontics LA today.
