Trouble Smiling?

Smiling is one of the most important human expressions. Many people with facial palsies tell me they have trouble smiling and that regaining a smile is their number one goal. It seems like smiling takes a lot of effort and still doesn’t go where you want it to go. There is a muscle inside your cheek, called the buccinator muscle. It is not a muscle of facial expression, rather its job is to hold food between the teeth and your cheek while you chew. For some reason, it becomes tightened and shortened and then stops the smile muscles from doing their job. With specific stretches and retraining strategies you can achieve a better smile with less effort.