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There is some science behind the claim that smiling can improve your mood. I’m not sure it’s worth the

expense.

NHS dental charges have risen 45 per cent in a decade and there’s a further four per cent increase to come next month. Even if you wanted a nice smile you wouldn’t want to use it when you see the bill.

Guest columnist Steve N Allen is a writer and comedian.

It’s strange that the mouth has been one of the areas that has left the NHS. If you get something rotting on any other body part you’d be seen by a doctor but if your teeth rot you’re on your own.

There are many stories of people attempting DIY dentistry but that seems unwise. I have seen how good I am at DIY carpentry but a wonky shelf is less worrying than a wonky mouth.

I think you can make a good case for the NHS paying to treat people’s teeth. I know times are hard and the UK struggles with low rates of productivity but maybe more people would get better jobs if they didn’t look like they had the mouth of a deep sea fish.

Following the lockdowns, the USA has seen economic growth that far outpaced that seen in the UK and one thing we know about America is they spend a lot of time sorting out their teeth. Hearing, “Have a nice day,” from someone with a confident smile gives you a boost but when you hear it from someone with mainly gums showing it’s more of a threat.

”When I was growing up no-one wanted to go to the dentist and they must have left the dentists feeling sad and rejected. Now people will wait in the street like there’s a new Harry Potter coming out, to get to join one”, says guest columnist Steve N Allen.

Complaining about the price of NHS dentistry feels like a luxury these days. Last month there was the news story of a new NHS dentist that opened and people queued down the street to join.

It’s a great example of how a profession can change its popularity. When I was growing up no-one wanted to go to the dentist and they must have left the dentists feeling sad and rejected. Now people will wait in the street like there’s a new Harry Potter coming out, to get to join one.

This plan may come back to softly bite the dentists. The Government last month announced a recovery plan, offering incentives to dentists to take on more NHS patients.

That means they’ll have to see a lot of people who haven’t been to the dentist in ages. I can’t think of anything worse.

Column: I can remember when no-one wanted to visit dentist - how times have changed