This seems like a crazy question, as smiling surely is something that everyone does naturally as they go through daily life. However, life can be complicated, challenging and downright mean. Many people go through life on a daily basis seemingly without any genuine reason to smile, which is very sad. What can you do to smile more and why is it important?

Smiling in Society

People who get into the habit of smiling in a most sincere way tend to be more popular. Human beings like to interact with others who are naturally upbeat and happy, and when you exhibit a clear and broad smile this passes that test perfectly. As society has evolved, smiling has become the natural mechanism used to foster acceptance.

Yet for some reason smiling is not the accepted "norm." It's often perceived as being lame or fake, as if people don't believe your reason for doing so. For this reason, many people tend to shy away from smiling at all.

Activating the Smile

In order to do it properly, you have to activate different muscle groups in your face so that it doesn't look as if its manufactured. You can learn how to do this by taking a couple of seconds to think of someone or something that is particularly important to you. Usually, this will be a significant other or loved one or a happy occasion like a birthday party. The type of smile that this generates is the one that you should try and replicate all the time. It uses the muscles in the corner of your mouth and around your eyes.

How Bold Should You Go?

Photographers may tell you that you should increase the effort of your smile to a point where you think it's "too much" and then increase it even more. Only then will you be smiling radiantly so that you can achieve that photogenic outcome. Smile as widely as possible so that you are always showing the top six front teeth and potentially also the side teeth. It's best not to open your mouth so wide that you show the bottom teeth though.

The Benefits

When you learn to smile this way it's amazing how much better you will feel. By integrating this habit, you will also find that your social status will be elevated and people will be only too happy to spend their social time with you. If missing or badly decayed teeth are keeping you from smiling, talk to your dentist about getting dental implants so that you can flash your smile with confidence.