What Exactly is Smile Anxiety and What Causes It?

A smile is the clearest sign of happiness in a person. However, there are people who shy away from smiling in public for several reasons. Luckily, smile anxiety, as the condition is called, is easily overcome once you go through the root causes and resolve any issues you might have with your smile.

The (un)attainable Hollywood smile

Like countless other aspects of life, the perfect smile often referred to as the Hollywood smile, has been imposed upon people around the world. Folks feel that they shouldn’t smile unless their teeth are perfectly white, leading to smile anxiety over time.

In reality, white teeth aren’t always a sign of oral hygiene, as genetics play a major role in the issue. Movies want us to think that something with white teeth is deemed as “beautiful” but beauty comes within (the heart and individual teeth).

The relationship between teeth color and smiling

In order to show your smile, your teeth needn’t be impeccably white. In fact, a natural smile is seldom purely white, as miniature stains are innate to most of the population.

Discoloring and stains are easily solved by visiting the dentist who will whiten your teeth using a simple and painless procedure. Moreover, there is organic toothpaste that promises to whiten your teeth naturally over time.

Missing a tooth

One of the most obvious reasons why a person won’t smile in public is a missing tooth or teeth. The problem is even greater if a front tooth is missing, like an incisor or a canine. Luckily, it’s not the end of the world if you are missing a tooth as orthodontics has come a long way.

Today, you can get everything from an implant to a dental crown is widely accessible in most dental practices. Furthermore, there are bridges and partial dentures that mask up the problem really well. Even if the solution is only temporary, you can replace a missing tooth in a single day!

Children and smile anxiety

Smile anxiety, like every other form of anxiety, is foremost a psychological issue. However, adults have an easier way of understanding what mental health is, while children are impacted more severely.

A missing tooth can really influence a child’s mental development. Finding a dentist for kids should be imperative for every parent. Otherwise, their children might be facing serious cognitive development issues.

Dealing with crooked teeth

Speaking of children, braces have been a major part of the growing up of many of us. Just like you can “replace” a missing tooth, you can correct a crooked tooth or crocked teeth. As the mouth grows and develops from early childhood, teeth become crooked, destroying our smile and leading to anxiety.

In the past, as we have already mentioned, metal train track braces were the only solution to the problem of crooked teeth. However, they are not at all appealing, so you’ll want to get a more modern solution.

Today, there are dental retainers and invisible braces that are aesthetically pleasing ways you can perfect your smile. Modern dentistry has come a long way, so you can resolve the problem with crooked teeth in just three months.

Bad breath issues

There are people who refuse to smile not because their teeth aren’t white but because they have bad breath. If there is a foul smell coming from inside your mouth, then you have poor oral hygiene. Namely, scientists have discovered that only 5% of your breadth comes from the stomach, while the rest is your mouth.

However, bad breath isn’t easy to detect. One way is to ask a loved one for an honest opinion before you get a chance to embarrass yourself in front of strangers. As an alternative, you can lick a section of your skin and then smell the area. If it reeks, you have bad breath.

Improving oral hygiene is the best way to get rid of bad breath and smile anxiety caused by it. For starters, brush your teeth twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. If you like chewing gums, choose ones that are sugar-free. If the problem persists, consider using mouthwash or floss.

Simply reading more about smile anxiety is enough to make you want to fight it. Whether it’s bad breath or a missing tooth that is preventing you to smile, it doesn’t have to be so. Consult your dentist regarding the possibilities to improve your smile and make the anxiety go away with every grin.