Xmas Smile Challenge: how and why smiling at Christmas is good for you

THE POWER OF LAUGHTER – To laugh and have fun you don’t always need to be at the peak of happiness. On the contrary, entertainment is particularly useful when we find ourselves in the midst of setbacks, precisely because it helps us break the vortex of negative thoughts and gives us a break of relaxation and pleasure. Numerous scientific studies have shown that laughter releases endorphins, whose action is similar to that of a natural anesthetic capable of attenuating and completely eliminating painful stimuli. A good laugh improves breathing and blood circulation, reduces anxiety and even boosts our immune system. Smiling also improves our social relationships, helps us develop a positive outlook on life, improves our self-esteem and helps us think clearly and find solutions to our problems.

LAUGHING IS ALSO A SCIENCE – Is called gelotologyfrom the Greek “ghelos” which means laughter, and deals precisely with the study of laughter and its effects, with particular attention to its potential therapeutic effects and the psychophysical well-being of the person and of social groups. An example of laughter therapy is the clownterapia, applied in particular in the case of pediatric patients and the elderly, but laughter therapy is beneficial to all ages. Yoga also uses laughter as a method to produce well-being, without the need to listen to jokes, without humor or comedy, but by learning to laugh for the pure fact of doing it and obtaining all the advantages listed above.

A BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY SMILE – the teeth and the mouth are the great protagonists of laughter. Christmas, from this point of view, is a period that presents some risks for the health of our teeth, between gluttonous temptations and the unbridled consumption of sweets. “Sweets in themselves are not an absolute enemy of oral health, but it is important not to abuse them and continue to take care of your smile through good home hygiene” he explains Clotilde Austoni, dentist specialist in odontostomatological surgery, who addresses these and many other aspects of oral health in his book “Spazzoliamoci le Idee”, published by Mondadori. “Sugars are the favorite food of bacteria, which feed on them by releasing the acids responsible for tooth decay, but if we brush our teeth correctly we have nothing to fear”. For the Christmas period, Austoni is launching a real one Xmas Smile Challengeand offers five survival tips, friends of our smile and its health:

1 The “tactical” glass of water: Especially if we can’t immediately resort to toothpaste and a toothbrush, we conclude the meal with a nice glass of water, which will leave our oral cavity already partially clean.
2 Foods most at risk: However, a good brushing of the teeth is essential especially in the case of some foods that tend to stick to the dental enamel and are more difficult to remove: patience and toothpaste so if we have eaten, for example, dried fruit, panettone and milk or white chocolate. Dark chocolate (80/85%), on the other hand contains less sugar and is definitely to be preferred.
3. The remineralizing mousse: after brushing your teeth it can be very useful to replenish lost minerals and protect tooth enamel, particularly exposed to possible damage in this period of great binges.
4 Periodic checks: even if during the Christmas period the commitments are tight, we don’t miss the planned six-monthly check-up and we don’t give up the professional hygiene session. If we then know that we have an “open” problem, such as a cavity to be treated or a devitalization postponed several times, it is better not to postpone it further: neglected ailments have the unpleasant tendency to manifest themselves painfully at inopportune moments, especially if the dentist is unavailable.
4.  Bibite e soft-drink: better not to overdo it and brush your teeth anyway after consuming them because they are strongly acidic: it is also for this reason that they help to digest, but they attack the dental enamel, so they must not stay in the mouth for too long.
5. Toast yes, but… : pay attention to red wine, coffee and certain herbal teas: if we want to keep the whiteness of our smile, let’s not go overboard with these drinks, which are particularly pigmenting. Better to drink a glass of water after you get used to them, to prevent them from staying too long in contact with your teeth