Does smiling make you happier?
Studies suggest a deliberate smile may lift how happy you feel a little, but the effect is small and varies, and a famous early result did not replicate. These studies measured feelings, not physical health.
On this page
You may have heard that smiling makes you feel happier. There is research behind the idea, and a good deal of disagreement about it. Where an effect shows up, it is small.
Can smiling make you feel happier?
The idea has a name: the facial feedback hypothesis. It says the expression on your face can influence how you feel, even when the expression did not start with a feeling. Researchers have tested it in many ways, and a 2022 paper describes the evidence as mixed.
One famous test, from 1988, asked people to rate how funny cartoons were while holding a pen in their mouth. Holding it with the teeth shapes the face into a kind of smile. Holding it with the lips shapes a pout. The original study found the “smile” group rated the cartoons funnier. Later work has not backed that up cleanly:
| Study | What was done | What it found |
|---|---|---|
| Pen study, 1988 | Cartoons rated with a pen held in the teeth or the lips | Smile group rated them 0.82 units funnier on a 10-point scale |
| Replication, 2016 | 17 repeats of it, all using one agreed method | A difference of 0.03 units, close to zero |
| Review, 2019 | 286 results from 138 studies pooled | A small overall effect that varied between studies |
| Many Smiles, 2022 | 3,878 people in 19 countries | Making or copying a smile lifted happiness slightly; the pen task was less clear |
The 2019 review is the widest look. It found that a facial expression does influence how people say they feel, though the effect was small and differed from one study to the next. It also found signs of publication bias in studies of judgments such as how funny a cartoon is, which means some results may be missing from the record.
The 2022 study was designed to test the conditions most likely to show an effect. Copying a smiling face, or deliberately making a smile, lifted how happy people said they felt, but only slightly. The pen task, the method behind the 1988 result, gave a less clear answer.
What the research does not show
Each of these studies asked people to report a feeling or to rate something such as a cartoon. None of them measured physical health. They cannot show that smiling lowers stress, protects your heart or helps you live longer, and this guide does not claim that.
They also do not say you should smile on demand. The effects were small, so a smile you do not feel is not something to push yourself into.
Smiling and feeling connected
The NHS lists connecting with other people as one of five steps to mental wellbeing. It says good relationships can give you a sense of belonging, a way to share good times and support when things are hard. The page does not mention smiling, and none of the studies above tested whether smiling helps people connect. Even so, if something makes you hold back a smile or a laugh around other people, that can matter.
When teeth make a smile harder
The 2021 Adult Oral Health Survey asked adults in England, aged 16 and over, about problems caused by their teeth, mouth or dentures in the past 12 months. It took place in February and March 2021. Problems smiling, laughing or showing teeth without embarrassment were the daily activities most often severely affected, at 12% of adults, ahead of difficulty eating at 9%. Being self-conscious was the most common impact of the 14 the survey asked about, reported by 28%.
These are self-reported figures from one survey, so they show how common worry about your smile is, not what lies behind it. They do mean that if you hold back your smile, you are far from the only one. If marks on your teeth are part of the reason, our guide to white spots on teeth explains what can cause them.
Looking after how you feel
How much you smile is personal, and nothing here treats a quieter face as a problem. If you do feel low, anxious or stressed, a GP can advise you about helpful treatments and help you reach mental health services. If you think you may be depressed, the NHS says it is important to speak to a GP and not to wait.
If you need urgent help for your mental health, the NHS says to get help from 111 online or call 111 and select the mental health option. Call 999 or go to A&E if you do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe.
When to see a dentist
- smiling, laughing or showing your teeth makes you feel embarrassed
- you would like to talk about how your teeth look, even if nothing hurts
- your gums bleed, a tooth hurts, or something in your mouth has changed and not settled
You do not need a reason beyond wanting to talk it through.
What we would do
The first step, if you would like to talk about your smile, is a new patient exam. We examine your teeth, gums and soft tissues, take small X-rays where needed, and set out any options in plain language. If how your teeth look bothers you, you can mention it at the appointment.
If it is about how your teeth look, our cosmetic dentistry options are straightening, whitening, composite bonding and veneers. Each starts with a consultation, where your dentist explains the options and the trade-offs.
Our own line is that when you smile, we smile. If something makes that harder for you, we would like to hear about it. You can book a check-up to talk it through.
Want us to take a look?
Book an appointment at whichever of our five practices suits you. We will check what is going on and talk you through your options.
Questions this guide answers
Does smiling really make you happier?
Possibly a little, sometimes. A 2019 review of 138 studies found a small effect that varied between studies, and a 2016 replication of a famous experiment found a difference close to zero. A large 2022 study in 19 countries found that deliberately making or copying a smile lifted happiness slightly.
Is smiling good for your health?
The studies in this guide asked people to report feelings or rate something such as a cartoon. They did not measure physical health, so they cannot show that smiling lowers stress or improves health. The NHS lists connecting with other people among five steps to mental wellbeing and does not single out smiling.
Should I smile even when I do not feel like it?
You do not need to. The effects found in experiments were small, so it is not something to force. If you think you may be depressed, the NHS says it is important to speak to a GP and not to wait.
What if I avoid smiling because of my teeth?
You are not alone. In a 2021 survey of adults in England, 12% reported a severe impact on smiling, laughing or showing their teeth without embarrassment. A dentist can examine your teeth and gums and set out any options in plain language.
Sources (7)
- A meta-analysis of the facial feedback literature: effects of facial feedback on emotional experience are small and variable
- Registered Replication Report: Strack, Martin, and Stepper (1988)
- A multi-lab test of the facial feedback hypothesis by the Many Smiles Collaboration
- Adult oral health survey 2021: self-reported health and oral impacts
- 5 steps to mental wellbeing
- Depression in adults: overview
- Where to get urgent help for mental health
