Re-learning to Smile

This is probably one of the biggest hurdles for me. For years I’ve re-learnt how to smile to hide my poor-conditioned front teeth; turn up the corners, keep the front lip over the teeth, turn away, hold up my hand even. But now that the teeth have been replaced and they look good, although maybe not as

natural as natural teeth but it’s better than what it was, I can actually smile again. But first I need to overcome the old thought pattern.

It seems strange that I have to re-learn something that is so natural in human existence. If you notice ancient civilisations and even undiscovered tribes when first found, a smile means the same thing. We’re never taught to smile. We feel something inside and it expresses itself as a smile.

At the moment this new smile feels unnatural, but maybe I’m being self-conscious. When something funny happens I can just laugh, the thought of hiding the smile occurs and I’m able to ignore it and laugh. It’s quite liberating actually; to not have to worry all the time about something as simple as a smile or laugh. I guess in time the thought won’t even happen, but for now it’s just another step on the road to full recovery.

They say it only takes twenty-eight days to overcome old thought patterns, or to learn something new. So I guess with three weeks of wearing dentures I’m almost there. If you’ve just gotten dentures, hang in there. We all improve the more we do something.