Know The Risk Factors

Simply Smiling May Boost Your Outlook

Smiling can trick your mind into being more positive, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of South Australia found that the simple act of moving your facial muscles into a smile can make you view the world more positively.

“When your muscles say you’re happy, you’re more likely to see the world around you in a positive way,” said lead researcher Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos, a human and artificial cognition expert at the university.

He and his colleagues studied how people interpret various images of facial and bodily expressions that range from happy to sad, based on whether or not they were smiling themselves.

The study involved 256 volunteers from Japan, Poland, Spain and Sweden. Participants were asked to hold a pen between their teeth, an act that forces facial muscles to replicate the motions of a smile.

They were then shown images of facial expressions that ranged from frowning to smiling, and videos of a person walking in different positions, ranging from “sad walking” to “happy walking.”

The participants viewed each image or video with and without a pen in their teeth, and then evaluated if the evoked emotion was “happy” or “sad.”

The researchers observed that the participants were more likely to view a broader range of the images and videos as “happy” when smiling themselves.

“In our research, we found that when you forcefully practice smiling, it stimulates the amygdala — the emotional center of the brain — which releases neurotransmitters to encourage an emotionally positive state,” Marmolejo-Ramos said in a university news release.

The results suggest that everyone, and particularly those suffering from mental health issues like anxiety and depression, may benefit from the simple act of smiling.

“For mental health, this has interesting implications. If we can trick the brain into perceiving stimuli as ‘happy,’ then we can potentially use this mechanism to help boost mental health,” Marmolejo-Ramos said. “A ‘fake it till you make it’ approach could have more credit than we expect.”

The study was published recently in the journal Experimental Psychology.

Meet Your Doctor

By Barbara Pierce

Charles Burns

Dr. Charles Burns is a partner in the dental offices of Slavin, Jackson & Burns in Utica. Slavin, Jackson & Burns offer a full scope of comprehensive dental care for the family, including pain-free dentistry, orthodontics, implants, cosmetic dentistry, and sleep appliances.

What dental services do you provide?

We are a comprehensive dentistry practice; we do all types of dentistry, everything from routine exams, cleanings and fillings to dental implants to dental appliances for those suffering from sleep apnea or temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ).

I take advantage of continuing education courses, to expand my knowledge of new developments, and to keep abreast of the latest techniques and procedures being performed in modern dentistry.

This lets me make available to our patients the most advanced dental technology to meet all their dental needs.

What are your specific dental specialties?

My particular areas of expertise are in appliances for sleep apnea, endodontics (root canal work), TMJ, and painless laser dental procedures for both teeth and gums. I’ve had extensive training in these areas.

Please tell us more about painless laser procedures; does this mean the end of drills?

Painless laser procedures are fundamentally changing the practice of dentistry. For a long time, going to the dentist has had a bad rap. In fact, 50% of Americans do not regularly go, a hurdle we work hard to overcome by investing in the best technology on

the market.

The newest addition to our practice, Solea, is a dental laser that’s quickly becoming the industry standard. When I first heard about Solea, I learned as much as possible about it, and it became clear that this was a technology I could not live without. It allows me to offer you virtually pain-free procedures for both teeth and gums, from simple cavities to complex surgeries.

Solea offers a unique wavelength guided by sophisticated computers. Not only is it painless, it also vibrationless and noiseless. It’s an exciting new thing.

Today, it’s replaced dental drills for the majority of procedures in our office. That means no more noise, no uncomfortable vibration, or anxiety. It also means we can do the work in less time. For you that means fewer and quicker appointments.

Because it eliminates the need for injections of novocaine, everything gets done quicker and easier. You can get all your work done in one visit, as I don’t have to give you injections and wait until you get numb, then schedule you for multiple appointments if you need work done in more than one area of your mouth. Without the needle, you just sit down and we get started, and I can do all the work you need in one visit. Yes, it might be a while before you see that drill again. And nobody likes those nee

How do you help patients who have sleep apnea?

A CPAP device is often used to treat sleep apnea; it is usually prescribed by a pulmonologist after a sleep study. Many people are not able to tolerate a CPAP. For those who can’t tolerate a CPAP, I create a custom dental appliance. I work with your pulmonologist to insure that the appliance helps you breathe better at night.

Unlike a CPAP, dental appliances are small, they do not involve hoses or masks, they do not rely on electricity, and they make no noise. They’re much more reasonable to use, and the cost is far more reasonable.

We understand that giving back to the community is important to you?

Yes, serving and giving back to the community is important to me; I give my time to many local agencies. I do free dental screenings for Head Start in Oneida County, participate in providing dental services at the Utica Community Center, participate in the Build-A-Bike event annually, serve as Chairman of the Health Services Advisory Board for the Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency, and I’m involved with and past president of the Dental Society.

Also, I donate my time and expertise teaching new doctors on subjects such as endodontics, TMJ disorders, sleep apnea, forensic dentistry, and craniofacial pain management.

We understand you are proud of your military service:

I retired from the National Guard after 21 years of service, where I received many awards for high performance standards. I proudly served in Operation Desert Storm when I was active duty.

I am proud to be the only dentist within 50 miles who is permitted to provide dental services to our veterans as well as active duty military personnel.

We would like to add that your staff wanted us to know how much they admire you for your unique blend of professionalism and compassion that puts patients at ease. Also, they noted that you have been honored by the Genesis Group as an outstanding health care professional in the Mohawk Valley.

Burns practices at the comprehensive dentistry offices of Slavin, Jackson & Burns, 2534 Genesee Street, Utica. He can be reached at 315-724-5141 or see the website at http://www. slavinjacksonburns.com/.

Lifelines

Birth year: 1962 Birth place: Utica Current residence: Utica Education: AA: Mohawk Valley Community College; BS: Utica College, graduating with honors; DDS: New York University, graduating as a top student; dental residency: Faxton-St. Luke’s. Personal: Married; two sons. Hobbies: Avid sculptor, using clay, metal, and wood; golf, landscaping, the beach, woodworking, snowmobiling, skiing, enjoying all that the Adirondacks and the Mohawk Valley have to offer