Recent studies show that your smile, self-esteem, confidence, and overall health go hand in hand. People who are confident to smile and laugh more tend to live longer, feel less stressed and are generally happier.
We all want our smiles to be straight, gleaming, and perfect. If you are self-conscious about your smile due to missing teeth, gum stains, or other reasons, you may hesitate to smile in photographs. However, smiling can make you feel relaxed, happy, and live in the present.
Now is the time to reclaim your happiness and drop that embarrassing smile. Follow these ten tips to keep your smile beautiful forever.
- Floss and brush your teeth every day
Brushing and flossing your teeth on a daily basis is one of the easiest ways to keep your dental hygiene in check.
More than 20 billion bacteria live in your mouth. Just one day without brushing your teeth allows these bacteria to multiply to 100 billion. Brushing removes the bad bacteria from your teeth, which prevents them from decaying and rotting.
The same applies to flossing. Despite the temptation to skip flossing due to its time-consuming process, it helps prevent cavities and plaque accumulation. By flossing, you remove any food remnants or tartar between the teeth.
Brush your teeth twice daily and floss them as often as possible.
- Invest in Teeth Whitening
If you want to improve the appearance of your smile, whitening your teeth could be the solution. There are a variety of ways to do this.
If teeth stains make you self-conscious about smiling, a teeth whitening treatment could be the best solution!
You can find teeth whitening strips in your local pharmacy or grocery store if you prefer a less expensive option. However, it is important to remember that off-the-shelf products often do not produce the desired results. You may even experience gum irritation or teeth sensitivity from these products. If using whitening products irritates your teeth, enamel, or gums, you should stop using them immediately.
If you wish to whiten your teeth at home, ask your dentist for a professional teeth whitening tray that you can use at home.
- Invest in veneers
Dental veneers are a straightforward way to improve your smile. Do you know what veneers are?
A veneer is a thin, tooth-shaped shell that can be bonded over your teeth to fill in gaps, cover up chips, or simply whiten them. There have been reports of dentists providing patients over 30,000 veneers at a time.
It is clear from this number alone that dental veneers are popular as a quick and easy cosmetic dentistry procedure. With such a speedy process, you can have a smile you love!
- Become familiar with gum whitening
We discussed teeth whitening above, but what about the patchy or discolored gums that can cause your smile to be darker? You’re likely to feel self-conscious. Recently, gum whitening has become popular for achieving a unified smile.
Patchy gums may occur due to genetics or unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking. You do not necessarily have unhealthy gums if they are patchy. Gum whitening can help lift your self-esteem and create a beautiful smile.
- Set an appointment to have your gums contoured
- Have you noticed that your gums have receded?
- Do your gums detract from the appearance of your teeth?
- Or do you feel that your gums take over your smile?
If you said yes to any of these questions, a gum contouring procedure might be the solution you’ve been looking for.
Alternatively, you may notice that your gums are receding over time. It can happen when people brush too hard, experience hormonal changes, or have gum disease. You can fix this issue with gum contouring or grafting to regain confidence in your smile, regardless of the cause. Gingival contouring, also called gum contouring, is a popular cosmetic dentistry procedure that removes any excess gum around your teeth.
- Consider Invisalign
If you are concerned that your teeth are crooked or not perfectly straight, Invisalign is a great option. As opposed to metal braces, Invisalign braces are made of clear plastic and are discrete.
These plastic retainers can help you get the beautiful smile you’ve always dreamed of. Unlike traditional braces, clear aligners are easy to take out whenever needed.
After taking your teeth impression, the laboratory will send different clear aligners approximately every two to three weeks. During the course of treatment, each aligner is designed to encourage movement. Your treatment length depends on the severity of your teeth misalignment; however, 12- to 18 months is a standard period.
- Smile more often
Once you’ve taken care of your dental hygiene and had cosmetic dentistry services, it’s time to put your smile to the test! If you’ve been insecure about your smile for a while, you may have given up on it altogether. But remember, smiling not only makes you feel better but also makes others feel better.
Practice smiling in front of the mirror! While it may seem silly, it will boost your confidence so that you can smile more in public and flaunt your pearly whites. Another trick is to compare a picture of your old smile to see how much your teeth have improved. Looking at the results, you might feel more confident.
- Be of service to others
Having a smile on your face and serving others makes you feel good. In fact, smiling when serving others is a natural reaction.
If you help someone in need, a chemical reaction occurs that enhances how you feel about yourself. Additionally, it benefits your health and can extend your lifespan.
- Get a massage to relax
Stress, even if it does not seem related to your oral health, can actually negatively impact it. Compromised oral health ultimately leads to a compromised smile. The body can handle stress in various ways; however, some of which may damage your teeth and jaw.
Get a massage to reduce stress levels, as stress can negatively affect your teeth. Massages help you feel relaxed and look after your dental hygiene. How? Because it is less likely to grind or clench your teeth at night if you are calm. You can also reduce your stress by wearing a mouth guard if you have teeth-grinding problems.
- Get rid of your bad habits
In order to improve your oral hygiene, you can take a few simple steps. One of the easiest ways to improve your oral health is to cut back on bad habits. Here are some of the worst ones.
- Chewing Betel nuts
- Smoking or tobacco
- Teeth grinding
By improving your dental hygiene and improving your smile, you can drastically improve your dental care!
Conclusion
If you lack confidence or a great smile to get through each day, now is the time to put this problem behind you. There are several natural and cosmetic solutions to beautify your smile. You can consult your dentist and get suggestions and treatments tailored to your cosmetic needs! A confident smile is a gateway to success.