Straight white teeth: a universal sign of beauty and good health. And thankfully both can be come by fairly easily if you aren't lucky enough to have them naturally, or if you've ruined them somehow in the process of living (smokers!). Of course you'll have to see your dentist to straighten out crooked teeth, and although you can go there for whitening too there are fairly effective ways to do it yourself at home. From cheap to expensive there quite a few options out there, like whitening toothpaste, whitening strips, and whitening gels -- and then of course the professional options available in the spa or dental office. What works for you? eDiets gives their opinions here, share yours in the comments!

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Smiling can be one of the great pleasures in life. From showing how happy we are to just laughing at the baby's latest gurgling, smiling and the appearance we give off to the world with our teeth set the stage for quite a bit of human interaction.

But physical abuse victims have a hard time smiling when some of those teeth are no longer there and facing the world without a complete "face" becomes an enormous challenge. As such, it was very gratifying to hear of a program called "Give Back a Smile."

This program matches domestic abuse victims with volunteer dentists who give away repair and dental services for free. Nothing can relieve you from past abuse experiences like having a fresh and new smile, and this program appears to be the provider of just that. How refreshing.

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Recent research suggests that surrounding yourself with happy people may make you smile more. Participants in the study listened to other people laughing, while researchers measured brain activity using MRI. They found that when a participant heard other people laugh, the part of his or her brain that controls smiling and laughter became active.

This response likely helps people build stronger emotional bonds by mirroring appropriate behavior in social situations. Laughter and cheering -- another sound that caused this brain center to light up -- are common in group situations, where people's social skills are put to the test.

Everyone needs a little more laughter in their life, so test this study out today by smiling at everyone you can. Personally, I just like the idea that when I smile or laugh, I'm doing more than spreading a little sunshine -- I'm lighting up brain centers!

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