If you could change one thing about your spouse, would it be their smile? If it is, then it might be time to talk to them about it. We understand that this may be a difficult issue to bring up, and you may not want them to think you’re unhappy being married to them, but this may be something really important that they have to address.
Here are five important reasons why you should talk to your spouse about their unattractive smile.
You Want Them to Be Happy
One of a person’s most common responses to having an unattractive smile is just suppressing it — you try not to smile, and when you do smile, you squash it quickly. The thing is that suppressing your smile can actually make a person depressed.
Smiling is a two-way street. Not only do we smile because we’re happy. In part, we’re happy because we smile, as the body gets feedback from facial muscles that stimulate the release of endorphins in the brain.
If your spouse is suppressing their smile, they might be at a greater risk for low moods, and may even suffer chronic low mood that can lead to depression.
You Miss Their Smile
You might also suffer low mood when your spouse is suppressing their smile. That’s because smiling is a social activity. Someone smiles at you, you smile back at them, and you smile together, both of you getting the benefit of an endorphin boost that improves your mood and strengthens your bond.
When your spouse isn’t smiling back, it can reduce your tendency to smile. And the effect can be magnified by all the pictures around the house showing your spouse not smiling at all the important family moments. As a result, it’s normal for you to get the impression that your spouse isn’t actually happy in your marriage, which can damage your relationship.
You Want to Kiss Them
A healthy smile is a kissable smile. If your spouse has an unhealthy mouth affected by gum disease or an infected tooth, they might have terrible breath that makes you reluctant or unwilling to kiss them. This hurts both of you, and your relationship.
Getting food stuck in their teeth can also cause bad smells and unpleasant sights that might make you reluctant to kiss your spouse.
Their Smile Is Costing You
In the US, your appearance matters in everything, including your salary. Studies have shown that for an attractive smile the so-called beauty premium can be as much as 4%.
Although there’s no guarantee that your spouse’s new smile will lead to an immediate raise, it can have a significant difference in one’s career prospects, and it’s worth bringing up to help consider the costs and benefits of a smile makeover.
You Want Them to Be Healthy
If you want to celebrate many happy anniversaries with your spouse, then getting their unhealthy smile fixed should be a priority. Gum disease isn’t just the leading cause of tooth loss, it can increase your spouse’s risk of many life-threatening illnesses and conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and even many different kinds of cancer. Having gum disease can even make it hard to get fit.
If your spouse is trying to get pregnant, then it’s important to note that gum disease has been linked to pregnancy complications such as premature birth and low birth weight.
A Smile Makeover Can Give a Healthy and Beautiful Smile
Your spouse doesn’t have to live with an unhealthy and unattractive smile. Oral health problems can be addressed through preventive and reconstructive dentistry. And cosmetic dentistry can give your spouse a very beautiful smile with a successful smile makeover.
If your spouse is reluctant to come in for a consultation, you must be prepared to encourage them firmly, and accompany them (or not, if they prefer).
To schedule an appointment for you or your spouse with San Jose area cosmetic dentist Nancy Nehawandian, please call (408) 354-5600 today to contact Top Down Dental in Los Gatos.
