It's important to work on your hair, skin, and clothing to make a good impression. But don't forget about your smile. Your grin is one of the most natural things about you, and it comes out at unexpected times. You don't want to leave a bad impression because of a yellow smile. Use these seven tried and true techniques for getting a better smile.
Photo by Matheus Ferrero on Unsplash.
1. See the Dentist Regularly
The very first step is dental hygiene. Regular cleanings (every six months) are key to removing plaque and tarter that can tarnish your pearly whites. These visits can also hedge dental problems before they occur.
If you don't have a trusted dentist that can provide clear advice on oral hygiene and whitening techniques, research a great one in your area. Search using location keywords like "Scottsdale dentist" to bring up the best local search results. Read reviews and make inquiries until you're satisfied you've found the dentist that can help you achieve your smile goals.
2. Avoid Certain Foods
Most foods won't affect your smile, but some will tarnish the brightness and stain your teeth. A list of foods to avoid for a brighter smile include:
- Red wine
- Tea
- Coffee
- Fruit juices
- Balsamic vinegar
- Curry
- Tomato sauces
- Sugar Soy sauce
- Cola
Ultimately, be careful of regularly consuming food with dark colors or teeth-degrading properties. In small amounts, none of these foods are bad, but consuming these substances several times per day will challenge your teeth-whitening efforts significantly.
3. Whiten Appropriately
Teeth whitening kits are great for restoring a smile – but make sure to use them appropriately. Repeated whitening can actually discolor your teeth and cause other problems. It might weaken or strip the enamel, which you can't get back. It may also make your teeth look translucent or blue. The final nail in the coffin will be life-long sensitivity.
For best results, use a teeth-whitening system from your dentist or have them whitened in-office. A dentist-guided whitening regime will protect you from making lasting mistakes with your teeth.
4. Stop Brushing Harder
There's a common misconception that brushing your teeth harder will remove the stains, tarter, and buildup that are dimming your teeth's whiteness. However, this won't help, and it may cause more dental problems.
Over-brushing can cause your enamel to wear away. You can also damage the gum line, causing bleeding and opening the door to potential infection. There's no need to over-brush.
5. Try Different Makeup
An old teeth-whitening trick for women involves adjusting your makeup ever so slightly to bring out the white in your teeth and mask the discoloration. Typically, cherry red, berry, rosy pink, wine, or plum lipsticks make yellowish tones less prominent in your teeth. Other blue-based or pink-based lipsticks and glosses will also do the trick.
Another cosmetic trick is to plump your lips, either by using a lip-plumping gloss or getting an injection. Fuller lips draw more attention to your lips and away from your teeth, giving the illusion of a brighter smile.
6. Actually Floss
You might not think so, but flossing is just as important as brushing when achieving a white smile. Oftentimes, the yellowing or discoloration starts at the edges of your teeth where a lack of flossing has allowed the stains to set in.
It's never too late to start flossing and minimize this problem. It will make all of your whitening efforts more effective, and you'll have healthier oral hygiene as well.
7. Trim the Gum Line
Many people are born with an especially gummy smile, which also dims your smile. It doesn't look as white and bright because there's so much of the gum line in the smile. To correct this, you can go to a periodontal specialist to get something called a gingivectomy.
A gingivectomy is the process of reducing the amount of gum that overlaps your teeth. Your dentist will use a soft tissue laser to remove a tiny amount of gum tissue, raising the gum line and correcting your smile. It's a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that requires only numbing and an hour of your time. You can go home with an incredible smile without breaking the bank or undergoing invasive surgery.
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The post 7 Ways to Get a Brighter Smile appeared first on AllDayChic.
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