How many times have you smiled cheerfully into a camera only to be disappointed at the actual shot? In this selfie crazed, facebook frenzied, instagram savvy world, it has become crucial to not only look, rather smile your absolute best.
A dazzling smile exuding warmth and confidence can help you sail through anything in life- a tough job interview, a nervous first date or an awkward social gathering-quite smoothly.
Few lucky ones are born with gorgeous grins. For the rest, good oral care and a slight help from the dentist can turn it into a stunning showstopper.
Quick tips for a great smile:
Do's:
1. Brush
Unsightly appearance of plaque stained teeth is a dampener to your pictures. Don't brush for the sake of it, adopt the correct brushing technique. Read up on brushing tips. Brush to remove plaque and food debris. Ask your dentist for guidance.
2. Floss
Don't show people what you had for dinner. To remove plaque and food material from the inaccessible areas between your teeth, floss. A floss reaches where toothbrush bristles cannot, and keeps your teeth squeaky clean. The key to a beautiful smile is good oral hygiene and flossing is an important part of it.
3. Eat Right
While refined foods and carbonated drinks are known to rapidly build up plaque, raw fruits and vegetables do just the opposite. Research has established that chewing on fresh fruits and vegetables has a natural cleansing effect on teeth. Eating fruits might just be the key to keep your smile whiter.
4. Drink Water
The hype over hydration is not for nothing. Drinking water reduces the bacterial count in the mouth, slows down the formation of plaque and tartar-primarily responsible for yellowing of teeth. Water also washes away stains from food and beverages which is a common reason for tooth discolouration. People who drink more water have reduced the incidence of dental caries, gum diseases, bad breath, do I need to say more?!
5. Periodic dental checkups
You can smile heartily without any teeth, may not look as awesome though!
To keep your gums healthy and increase the shelf life of your teeth, visit the dentist is a must. Go for routine checkups at least twice a year. Regular maintenance of oral hygiene with scaling and early detection of dental diseases will go miles to keep that smile remains brighter, longer.
6. Cosmetic Dental treatment
For those unhappy with their smiles, cosmetic dentistry works wonders.
Ceramic veneers can change the tooth shape and colour, smile designing can alter the number of teeth/gums visible and a minor surgery can produce that cute little dimple.
Disappointed with the shade of your teeth, in office teeth whitening can visibly lighten it, giving you 'celebrity' white teeth in pictures.
Is the dark colour of your gums bothering you? Depigmentation (gum lightening) can provide the perfect solution.
While orthodontic braces help straighten crooked teeth, with ceramic/lingual braces and newer inventions like Invisalign, forget the ugly show of metal and smile freely for those candid shots.
Don'ts:
1. Smoke
Tobacco has never done any good to anyone and your teeth are no exception. Smoking produces ugly stains, darkens gums and lips. It also hastens the onset of oral diseases and may even lead to cancer. A smoker, by all means, can never smile pretty. Another reason to quit the 'butt' ASAP then.
While perfect smiles take time and money, gorgeous smiles -just a little awareness and some tender loving (dental) care.
Keep smiling! :)