5 Tips for a More Photogenic Smile

While the health of our teeth is of paramount importance, most of us want to have beautiful smiles too. As part of our comprehensive dental services, we offer a variety of cosmetic dental treatments to help you feel confident in your appearance. Here are five tips for a more photogenic smile.

If you’re worried about the cost of cosmetic dentistry, teeth whitening is the perfect place to start. You’ll be surprised at the dramatic difference a whiter smile can make, and it’s a treatment that fits into almost every budget. Yellow and stained teeth are part of the natural aging process, so with a brighter smile, you’ll look and feel younger and more confident.

There are many home whitening kits available over-the-counter these days. They tend not to be as effective as in-office systems supervised by your dentist. If your teeth have significant staining, you may need in-office whitening treatments, which use a light-activated whitening gel for the best possible results. With in-office whitening, your teeth could lighten as many as 12 shades after a single one-hour treatment.

If you have multiple issues with your teeth, veneers may be the best option for you. They can correct slight misalignment, color, and issues with shape, length, and gaps all at once. To apply veneers, we remove a thin layer of enamel from each tooth we’re working on and place a porcelain veneer over it, adhering it with a special dental cement. After curing the cement with a special light, you’ll be on your way.

The porcelain veneers we use are custom-made for you in a dental lab. This ensures the best results, with teeth that look natural and feel comfortable.

Veneers are a great solution for fixing chips, gaps, and teeth that are uneven in size. There’s another solution, too, if veneers don’t fit into your budget: cosmetic bonding.

Dental bonding is an affordable and simple procedure that uses composite material to reshape your teeth. When applied by a skilled cosmetic dentist, the result looks natural, but be aware that bonding does not last as long as porcelain in veneers, nor is the material as strong or stain-resistant.

One of the best ways to achieve a beautiful smile is also one of the easiest: brush your teeth for two minutes, twice a day and floss at least once a day. Take care of your teeth and you will be rewarded for it. In addition to sticking to a good home oral hygiene routine, keep your routine dental exams and cleanings every six months so we can do our part to keep your smile bright and healthy.

Tell us if this sounds familiar: someone whips out their phone to take a picture and you give the tightest closed lip smile you can muster to hide your teeth. Or maybe you prefer to turn away from the camera or hold your hand up to your mouth. Either way, our goal is to help you smile with confidence––a big, joyful smile that you’re proud of. Even if you’re not quite there yet, try flashing a real smile next time someone wants to take your picture.