National Smile Week

Download the attached PDF file for the full version.

Smile Week started in the UK and has drifted this way. The second week of August is National Smile Week. Since we in dentistry are in the SMILE business, this issue of my E-zine is dedicated to the SMILE.

Smile – it makes people wonder what you have been up to.
Smiles convey respect, patience, empathy, hospitality and compassion, according to Wikipedia.
Smiles confer warmth and friendliness to others.
Smiles make you feel better even if you are sad.
Smiling at a stressed patient helps the patient relax.
Smile when you are getting bad service as you make a new request for something. You will get better service than when you GROWL or GRUMP. People want to help those who smile.
Smiles are gems of marketing because they don’t cost a cent.
Smiles are the business of dentists and their teams.
A smile is your most beautiful/handsome attire.
Count your smiles instead of your tears.
Smile-notable quotes from the notable:
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” -Thich Nhat Hanh
“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” -Dr. Seuss
“Peace begins with a smile.” -Mother Teresa
“…it’s a smile, it’s a kiss, it’s a sip of wine … it’s summertime!” -Kenny Chesney song lyric
“What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.” -Joseph Addison
“You’ll find that life is still worthwhile, if you just smile.” -Charlie Chaplin
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” -Leo Buscaglia
“You make me smile like the sun, fall out bed, sing like a bird, dizzy in my head. Spin like a record crazy on a Sunday night. You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breath, shine like the sun buzz like a bee, just the thought of you can drive me wild. Oh you make me smile.” -Uncle Kracker song lyric
“The world is like a mirror; frown at it, and it frowns at you. Smile and it smiles, too.” -Herbert Samuels
Smiling has these health benefits:
1. Lower Heart Rate- Smiling slows the heart and relaxes the body. Smiles and laughter reduce blood pressure and reduce heart disease.
2. Reduce Stress -Smiling releases endorphins that counteract and diminish the stress hormones.
3.Improve Mood – The endorphins do more than kick stress to the curb. Endorphins lift your mood. Smile, even if it isn’t entirely genuine at first, and turn your entire day around with something simple, easy to do, and free.
4. Increase Productivity – Smiling has been shown to increase productivity while performing tasks. There’s truth to the “whistle while we work” mentality.
5. Encourage Trust – Studies show that we are more trustful of others when they smile and smile genuinely. Trust is an important part of social health when dealing with your patients and co-workers.
6. Produce Empathy – Smiles promote leniency in what others think of us and engenders a sense of empathy.
7. Reduce Pain – Smiling and laughter both have been shown to lessen pain. They release endorphins that lift our moods, but many of these act as natural painkillers too.
8. Increase Attention – Stress limits our perceptions and narrows our attention. Our body kicks into fight or flight mode where we can focus only on one of those things. Smiling counteracts this and widens our attention again, opening us back up to multitasking and insights that come from the fringes of our perception and our subconscious.
9. Contagious – Around 50% of people smile back. This spreads the health benefits around. Smiles come back and you feel warm when you receive one.
10. Attract Others – Smiles make people more attractive.
11. Earn Success – A smile can make you appear confident, self-assured, and on top of your work. Those who smile are more likely to earn more money through tips and raises.
12. Look Younger- Smiles naturally lift the face and studies have shown that smiles make people look younger, around 3 years younger on average.
13. Live Longer – Smiling people often live longer too, around 7 years longer than most according to one study. It releases stress, helps the heart, and much more to keep you healthy longer.
14. Boost Immune System – Smiles help the body relax and this lets the immune system react more quickly and effectively against invaders.1
Smile and share this with your patients, You may download the PDF version to share in an email, in your own e-newsletter, or copy the link to this newsletter and share on Facebook, Twitter, or your favorite social network.

1 Adapted from : “15 Health Benefits of Smiling”;Charlie Pulsipher, Sun Warrior News; 4/17/2013; URL: http://www.sunwarrior.com/news/15-health-benefits-of-smiling/#sthash.aC66Aw74.dpuf