To Have a Beautiful Smile

According to a study conducted by researchers at Indiana Memorial Hospital in U.S., people who smile for 15 seconds every day live two days longer than those who do not. It is also said that a big laughter is like five minutes of doing aerobics. It is an enduring truth that `You can invite good luck by smiling.`

There are some 80 muscles on a human face. Muscles used to make a smile are mostly placed near the cheeks and the mouth. By practicing how to move smoothly muscles that connect the cheekbone to the edges of the lips or muscles used to move up and down the edges of the lips, you can have a beautiful smile.

These are tips from Dr. Kim Jin-myung who runs a smile clinic at Yapgujeong Ye Dentist Clinic in Seoul.

①Relaxing = Sing Do Re Mi songs. Try to pronounce sound clearly and precisely. Repeat three times.

②Enhancing Resilience = Open your mouth utmost and stop for ten seconds. Then try to position each end of the mouth horizontally and stop for ten minutes. Pucker up your mouth to make a circle and stop for ten minutes

③Making a Smile = Open your mouth by one third to make a slight smile. Then open your mouth by a half and then fully. Repeat three times.

④Maintaining a Smile = Apply force on the edges of the mouth and pull them up. Pronounce `whisky` and `cookie.` Close your mouth. Pull up and down the edges of the mouth repeatedly.

corekim@donga.com