As a baby, you learn to smile by mimicking the expressions of others. When you smile, your body sends a message to your brain that makes you and others feel good. A smile is generally defined as an upturning of the lips, but you form different versions of your smile depending on your mood and emotions. This makes it hard for others who don’t know you well to tell what you really mean when you smile.
The key to diagnosing a smile meaning is to look at the eyes. You use two different sets of muscles when you smile. The zygomatic major muscles control the mouth to enlarge the cheeks and expose your teeth. The orbicularis oculi muscles pull back the eyes to make them narrow and create tiny wrinkles.
The Genuine Smile: A true smile is formed when you express happiness and joy. It’s honest and comes straight from the heart. A genuine smile can be recognized because your eyes will look smaller, your eyebrows will dip down, and you’ll have small wrinkles in the corners of your eyes.
Smirk: A smirk shows that you are secretive. Your lips will be pressed together in a straight line and your eyes may look squinty. This type of smile makes people think you are hiding something or being sarcastic.
Friendly Smile: A friendly smile is welcoming and inviting. It’s often used for introductions when you meet or greet people and can be genuine or fake, depending if you’re actually interested in the person.
Polite Smile: A polite smile is often faked. You can use your muscles to form a smile with your mouth, but your eyes won’t have the true wrinkles of a genuine smile. You use this type of smile when you’re pretending to be interested in someone to spare their feelings.
Embarrassed Smile: Some people smile when they’ve been embarrassed or caught doing something wrong. Your head will be tilted downwards and your lips will be together. It looks innocent, makes you feel better, and covers up your embarrassment.
Playful Smile: When you’re laughing or playing, you’ll widely open your mouth and show all your teeth. This type of smile is genuine when you’re excited or having fun.
It takes more facial muscles to frown than it does to smile. If you’re embarrassed to smile and show your teeth because of your dental problems, Dr. Coon can help you restore and whiten your smile. Contact Grinnell Street Dental at 307-672-7567 to schedule an appointment.