If it seems like everyone but you has a great smile, you aren’t alone. Millions of people hope for a more attractive grin, but many are unsure how to make that dream come true. The truth is a great smile is made up of many different features – alignment, tooth shape, and color, just to name a few. Some problems are an easy fix, whereas others may seem impossible to fix. Either way, there is no need to settle for the hand you are dealt. In this post, we’ll cover five secrets for the brilliant smile you’ve always dreamed of.
One of the first things we notice about someone is their smile, so when it comes to our own toothy expressions it makes sense that we want to strive for perfection. To help us demystify the dental options available to help us achieve a whiter and brighter look, we turned to Raleigh, North Carolina-based aesthetic dentist Dr. Justin Russo, DDS. “In my experience, a ‘million-dollar smile’ is one that exudes overt youth, health, and symmetry, all while being displayed with confidence,” says Russo. “It all starts with a look in the mirror and an honest answer to the question of ‘how am I taking care of my teeth?’” Here, Dr. Russo shares pro tips and procedures that will help readers have clean, sparkling, and camera-ready teeth.
Straighten Your Teeth
It wouldn’t be a smile ‘secret’ if everyone knew you were doing it, right? When it comes to straighter teeth, there’s no need to sport a mouth full of metal if you only need some minor to moderate adjustments. With today’s clear aligner technology, it’s possible to get straighter teeth in just months – all as discreetly as possible. You can eat the same foods, enjoy fewer in-office appointments, and gradually improve the appearance of your smile without the embarrassment of traditional braces. Simply ask your Houston dentist here at Briter Dental for more information about Invisalign and whether it could be right for you.
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Brush up on your everyday maintenance
“You’ve heard it before, and I’ll say it again: floss your teeth every single day,” says Dr. Russo, noting that toothpicks, business cards, and water picks don’t count (these products just stab at your gums and don’t remove plaque). Instead, use a string dental floss to keep the plaque off your teeth. Russo recommends either a Glide floss or floss sticks like Plackers, which are bent a little at the end to give the floss a little more slack to curve around your tooth. Pro tip: Floss first and then brush, which will in turn make your tooth-cleansing more effective. Dr. Russo recommends using a non-abrasive toothpaste—just look for “enamel protect” on the tube.
Lay Off the Sauce for Pearly Whites
Believe it or not, pasta sauce is notorious for causing unsightly stains on the porous surfaces of the teeth. It’s easily absorbed into the enamel, leaving an ugly tint behind. Of course, that’s not the only ‘sauce’ that could be changing your tooth shade. Red wine is another notorious culprit, as are other darkly tinted beverages like coffee and tea. If you’re a frequent pasta-eater or wine-drinker, consider a switch to white versions instead. Alternatively, you could make a point to brush your teeth immediately after consuming dark foods (but never before).
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Book an appointment for an in-office whitening
Once you’ve mastered a cleansing routine, you can begin to critically evaluate your teeth for color. If you notice brown or purplish stains and you know you drink “known offenders,” aka staining beverages such as tea, coffee, or red wine, you are likely a good candidate for in-office tooth whitening. In Dr. Russo’s office, the procedure consists of a dental cleaning to remove surface staining. Then, teeth are dried and a gel that breaks down into hydrogen peroxide is applied and activated with an ultraviolet light to achieve a higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide (this will dissolve and bleach the internal staining in the pores of your teeth). In-office tooth whitening can be further enhanced with take-home whitening trays, which are mainly used as touch-up kits. Pro tip: Do not consume colored beverages such as tea, coffee, and red wine for 48 hours after whitening while the pores of your teeth are still open, as this will cause re-staining.
Get a Shade Upgrade
If despite your good oral habits you still don’t love the shade of your teeth, it may be time to talk with your Katy dentist about professional tooth whitening. This not-so-secret trick of the trade has long been used by patients who want quick results with professional oversight. Unlike drugstore varieties, professional tooth whitening treatments are customized according to your individual needs. Prescription-strength whitening solutions also tend to be stronger and more effective – just what you need to start flashing a brighter smile.
Try Smile Exercises
Exercise is good for your body’s muscles – even the ones in your face. If you are hoping for a more attractive smile, a two-minute daily work-out could get the job done. Start by flattening your lips tightly together and using your facial muscles to pull the corners of your mouth as widely apart as possible. Hold this lateral smile until your facial muscles ache slightly, and then release. Do it again, but this time attempt to wiggle your nose up and down while holding the position. Finally, suck in your cheeks and stick your lips out. Then, activate your smile muscles without actually smiling. Hold this position for five seconds, and release.
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Consider a permanent cosmetic upgrade with porcelain veneers
If you are older than 40 years old, don’t drink heavy amounts of colored beverages, or if you notice that your teeth are shorter, chipped, or sharper than they used to be, cosmetic whitening procedures may not be the solution to your teeth concerns. In these instances, Dr. Russo says, porcelain veneers would be a better option because you can choose a uniformly brighter shade of porcelain for a permanent, whiter color that will not change. Just be mindful of the quality of the porcelain veneer and the experience level of the provider placing the veneer, Dr. Russo warns; facilitation of a porcelain veneer requires the use of a master ceramist trained in layering esthetic porcelain to achieve lifelike, natural qualities. “Extreme attention to detail and experience in recognizing the nuances between a feminine smile versus a masculine smile need to be taken into account.” Pro tip: A common concern Dr. Russo hears from patients who are in their 40s and beyond is that they find it more difficult to smile in pictures. The reason, he says, is because the collagen in our upper lip thins and breaks down as we age. By enhancing a smile with porcelain veneers and by placing the veneers appropriately, you can provide more support for the upper lip and facial skin—thus lifting the lip and enhancing the facial appearance. In an era of constant selfies, that’s reason enough to consider the procedure!
Consider a Total Smile Makeover
If at the end of the day you simply dislike the size, shape, and overall appearance of your teeth, all is not lost. There is still one more ‘secret’ that can have you smiling confidently in no time. They are called dental veneers, and they are used to radically transform the appearance of the teeth. In fact, many celebrities have used dental veneers to get the movie-star smiles they are known for.
Dental veneers are translucent porcelain shells affixed to the front of the teeth. They are custom sized, shaped, and shaded to fit the patient to provide a natural-looking smile. You can keep your real teeth, but enjoy the look and feel of new ones. Dental veneers can provide many years of smile confidence, but they aren’t for everyone. To find out if you could be a candidate, contact our office to schedule a cosmetic dental consultation today.
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