Lifestyle

5 Tips for Regaining Confidence in Your Smile

Published

5 years ago

December 18, 2020

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Your smile is a part of who you are. It’s a unique expression of your personality, and you should feel confident enough to use it often. But what happens when you lose that confidence? Where do you go from here?

5 Ways to Achieve a Confident Smile

Your smile says a lot about you. It can happen naturally as a result of something you find funny, amusing, cute, endearing, or ironic. Or you can make a conscious decision to smile as a way to project friendliness or make someone feel comfortable. Either way, your smile is something you should be confident in. And here are a few different ways you can improve in this area:

Straighten Crooked Teeth

According to a study conducted by Invisalign, confidence is closely correlated to physical appearance. The data reveals that 70 percent of people find a single change in appearance has the ability to boost their confidence, while 92 percent of respondents say they were much more confident after having straightened crooked teeth. In fact, four out of five respondents say straightening teeth was one of the most important treatments they’ve ever received in their lives.

The good news is that there are more ways than ever to bring teeth back into alignment. This includes traditional braces, home alignment mouthguards, and other solutions. And while nobody wants to wear braces, a few months of braces can lead to years of increased confidence. When you look at it this way, it’s an easy tradeoff!

Try Teeth Whitening

For some people, it’s yellowed and stained teeth that hurt confidence more than anything else. But thankfully you don’t have to deal with this any longer. There are tons of professional whitening procedures, as well as inexpensive home solutions you can use to restore some of that sparkle and shine to your enamel.

Many of the at-home teeth whitening kits can be applied discreetly and for short periods of time. And while it can take several weeks of treatment to see significant results, they’re known to be quite effective.

Deal With Serious Oral Problems

Do you have more serious oral health issues that make it difficult for you to smile with confidence? It’s imperative that you visit your dentist to find out what the source of the problem is so that you can deal with it right away.

If you have bleeding, red, or swollen gums, loose teeth, bad breath, or exposed roots, these could be signs of gum recession. And believe it or not, a minimally invasive pinhole procedure could help you get your smile and confidence back with limited recovery time.

Practice Smiling

Getting your oral health in a good place is the correct starting point. But what if you still dislike your actual smile? (Meaning the shape and appearance of your smile.) Sometimes a little practice can go a long way.

“Standing in front of a mirror and practicing your biggest and nicest smile can give you a chance to find the best smile-induced facial expressions which compliment your appearance,” life coach Stella van Lane writes. “You can even consider asking somebody close to you for their opinion on the topic, or take some selfies to see what you look like smiling from many different angles.”

You don’t want to spend so much time practicing and staring at selfies that you become so self-conscious of your smile that you don’t want to use it. However, a little positive self-reflection can help. Always walk away with an emphasis on the positives.

Find Things That Make You Happy

Have you ever considered that the reason you don’t smile much is because you don’t have much to smile about?

If you’re hanging out with negative people, you need to find a new group of friends that make you happy. If you’re in a job that’s miserable, find some line of work that provides greater fulfillment. When you have things to smile about, your smile is going to be much more genuine and less forced.

Say Cheese!

A smile makes you relatable. It sends a signal of friendliness and makes it easier for people to approach you. And when you take the time to restore confidence in your smile, you’ll subsequently improve your relationships with others. Don’t miss or delay this opportunity!

Lifestyle

The Future of Social Dancing: How Latin Dance is Adapting to a New Generation

Published

1 day ago

August 21, 2025

Michelle Langton

Latin dance thrives on connection. The music, the partner, and the crowd all feed one another.

Today, that connection is shaped by a younger, digitally fluent generation, and few understand the shift better than Damian Guzman, founder of Bachata Sensual America (BSA). From prize-winning festivals to late-night socials, Guzman and BSA show how the scene is evolving without losing its roots.

Streaming steps, viral beats

A decade ago, beginners to Latin dance hunted for grainy DVD tutorials; now they unlock entire combinations on their phones. TikTok loops, YouTube shorts, and Instagram reels have compressed learning into snack-sized bursts.

Many of the artists signed on with Bachata Sensual America meet dancers where they scroll, posting slow-motion breakdowns and “follow-along” drills that rack up thousands of views. This approach addresses two key Gen Z demands: instant access and a clear path from screen to floor.

By allowing newcomers to practice at home before facing a packed room, the online channel lowers the fear barrier while seeding a desire for in-person connection.

Festivals as entry points, not finish lines

Digital discovery is only the first act. For many people, their real baptism happens at multi-day events where practice hours blur into sunrise socials.

BSA’s flagship Houston Bachata Sensual Festival returned on May 2^nd, 2025, with a follow-up week slated for Bachata Sensual Festival Chicago, September 4^th-9^th, 2025. Both weekends pair technique labs with mental-wellness talks and DJs specializing in bachata, mirroring the playlists in dancers’ earbuds.

That balance of skills and community is why independent reviewers named BSA one of the “Top Latin Dance Festivals in the United States” for 2025. Yet, for Damian, awards matter less than the message: a festival can feel world-class without pricing out college students. He keeps passes tiered, encourages volunteer shifts that offset costs, and prepares bootcamps for absolute beginners, ensuring the dance floor reflects the same diversity he sees online.

Teaching culture, not just choreography

Bachata’s recent boom owes much to its European reinvention. Damian experienced that surge firsthand while earning one of the first U.S. instructor certifications in the Bachata Sensual style. He returned determined to give American dancers the same blend of precision and musicality he had experienced abroad.

BSA classes devote equal time to connection cues, body mechanics, and the genre’s Dominican roots. That trifecta resonates with younger students who want authenticity, not just a viral dip.

“In class I tell people, ‘Technique is how you respect your partner; musicality is how you respect the song,’” Guzman said during a recent podcast. The line distills his mission: elevate standards while keeping the dance welcoming.

Building inclusive, mindful spaces

Generation Z brings new expectations around consent, identity, and mental health. BSA’s code of conduct spells out everything from appropriate touch to gender-neutral role selection. Security staff mediate conflicts quickly, and workshop leaders open sessions with grounding exercises to calm nerves. These actions might sound small, yet they remove friction that once pushed many newcomers away.

Damian argues that such policies go beyond ethics; they future-proof the scene. Normalizing role fluidity in Latin dance widens its talent pool and invites richer musical interpretations. By acknowledging anxiety and overstimulation — common concerns for digital natives — events can retain dancers who might otherwise retreat after their first crowded social.

Latin dance has never stood still, and its next evolution is already spinning under disco lights from Houston to Helsinki. With a phone in every pocket and a festival on every calendar, the gap between discovery and mastery keeps shrinking.

Damian Guzman and Bachata Sensual America illustrate what happens when tradition listens, adapts, and leads with purpose. The result is a scene ready for whatever beat the next generation drops — and a future where social dancing feels more connected, inclusive, and alive than ever.