There are many short-term benefits of visiting the dentist regularly. The patients who see us often usually have brief visits because plaque and tartar haven’t had much of a chance to accumulate. Because regular dental visits are one of the best ways to prevent cavities and gum disease, usually their 6 month exams and cleanings are the only time they need to come to our office. This saves both time and money, a benefit most of our patients appreciate.
Then there are the long-term benefits of your regular dental visits. These are even more important than saving time and money––they could even save your life. Seeing your dentist regularly doesn’t just help your oral health, but your overall well-being too. Dentists can spot signs of serious diseases before you or your doctor even notice them.
Here are the best long-term reasons to never skip a dental check-up.
You’re More Likely to Keep Your Natural Teeth
Research shows a link between the frequency of preventive dental visits and long-term tooth loss. If you want your natural teeth to last well into your golden years, don’t skip your routine dental exams and cleanings. When we see you in our office regularly, we can stop potential problems before they start––and before they require expensive restorative treatments.
Dentists Screen for Oral Cancer
Like all cancers, early detection of oral cancer is critical for the best outcomes. Dentists are trained to identify suspicious tissue and growths that have the potential to be malignant. During your routine dental visit, your dentist will take time to examine your jaw, neck, lips, cheeks, and tongue for sores and other abnormalities. If anything is found during these exams, you will be referred to a specialist for further screening.
Heart Disease and Gum Disease Are Linked
Research is still being done to pinpoint why and how, but what we do know is this: there is a clear link between heart disease and gum disease. People who have gum disease have two to three times the risk of serious cardiovascular events like strokes and heart attacks. One hypothesis is that gum disease leads to an increase of systemic inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation is a contributing factor to atherosclerosis, which causes cardiovascular issues.
Preventing gum disease is as simple as good oral hygiene practices at home, including flossing and brushing twice a day, and regular dental visits.
Other Signs of Systemic Disease Can Be Spotted by Dentists
Several autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and diabetes, may have oral symptoms before signs appear elsewhere, so regular dental visits can spot these systemic diseases––even if you haven’t experienced any other symptoms.
Schedule Your Next Regular Dental Visit with Us
Whether you’re a brand new patient at our office or we’ve been seeing you for years, there’s no better time to schedule an appointment for a dental cleaning and exam. Contact our Cupertino, CA dental practice to schedule your visit at 408-996-8595.
Aside from vaccinations, there is no public health issue more controversial than fluoride. Fluoride has been added to most public water supplies in the United States for the past 70 years and many of our patients, particularly parents, worry about overexposure when fluoride is in the water we drink, the toothpaste we brush with twice a day, and in the fluoride treatments we get at the dentist.
Here at Ryan Senft, DDS, we adhere to the American Dental Association’s position on fluoride: that it is a safe, effective means of preventing tooth decay in children and adults. That being said, let’s go over some common concerns our patients have about fluoride.
Myth or Fact: Fluoride Is Toxic
Fact. With a caveat: yes, fluoride is toxic, but so are most things in excess.
It’s easy to scare people by labeling things toxic, but just about everything is toxic if the dosage is high enough. According to the World Health Organization, exposure to excess fluoride is a public health concern, but water fluoridation programs are not a cause and the contribution of fluoride-containing dental products to overall fluoride intake is minimal.
When adverse reactions to fluoride overexposure, such as skeletal fluorosis, occur, they are nearly always in areas with naturally high fluoride levels in groundwater, like parts of East Africa and China. The risk of skeletal fluorosis increases when fluoride levels are 6 milligrams per liter or above; the US Department of Health and Human Services recommends that municipalities maintain a level of 0.7 milligrams per liter, well below the amount that would prove harmful.
The best way to protect against fluoride toxicity in children is to keep their toothpaste and mouth rinses out of reach–several hundred cases of fluoride toxicity each year involve children eating a large amount of toothpaste or drinking fluoride mouth rinses while unsupervised.
Myth or Fact: Fluoride Damages Teeth Instead of Protecting Them
Myth. Or at least a myth with a little bit of fact thrown into the mix.
Dental fluorosis occurs when children are exposed to too much fluoride; the result is that their adult teeth come in with white spots. These white spots are cosmetic and often barely noticeable.
Cavities are far more damaging to teeth than fluorosis, so the benefits of fluoride outweigh the risk of fluorosis. The American Dental Association calls fluoride ‘nature’s cavity fighter’ because of its ability to strengthen enamel and even reverse early signs of tooth decay.
Myth or Fact: Children Should Not Use Fluoride Toothpaste
Myth. There was a time when the American Dental Association recommended that children under 3 brush their teeth with water instead of toothpaste to protect them against swallowing too much fluoride.
After further research, the ADA reversed this recommendation and instead recommends that children under 3 use an amount of toothpaste equal to the size of a grain of rice, which offers the protection of fluoride without the potential risk of swallowing an excess amount. Always supervise your children while they brush their teeth and don’t leave them with their toothpaste unattended.
Myth or Fact: Fluoride Causes Low IQ in Children
Fact. This is another fact that has been distorted by opponents of municipal water fluoridation programs. A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives suggests that prenatal exposure to fluoride can lower children’s IQ scores.
While that may be true, the study was done in Mexico, where naturally occurring fluoride levels are higher in community water and fluoride is also added to salt. The ADA stands by its position that water fluoridation programs in the United States are safe and effective and has concluded that this research is not applicable to the US.
You’ve heard the recommendations. You’ve seen the commercials. Maybe you’ve even had one of our hygienists tell you all about the benefits of upgrading to an electric toothbrush during your last dental cleaning–but you still haven’t taken the leap. In a world full of gadgets and new technologies, it’s easy to see why many of our patients are skeptical about electric toothbrushes. But if there’s one gadget that really does live up to the hype, it’s the electric toothbrush.
It’s not just our team here at Ryan Senft, DDS singing its praises either. There’s an ever-growing body of independent scientific research that shows the benefits of using an electric toothbrush over a manual one. Here are 3 reasons to upgrade to an electric toothbrush today:
Electric Toothbrushes Will Make You a Better Brusher
Most people think of the moving brush head as the biggest reason to make the switch from a manual brush, but electric toothbrushes are superior in other ways too. They have an array of features that enable better brushing habits. While the features will differ depending on the price point you’re looking at, some of our favorites include:
- Built-In Timers. These let you know when your 2 minutes of brushing are up.
- Reminders to Brush Equally on All Sides. Some brushes offer a vibration to remind you to brush each quadrant of your mouth for 30 seconds.
- Pressure Sensors. You only need a light touch when brushing with an electric toothbrush; if you’re using too much pressure, your brush will let you know when to ease up.
- Reminders when to change brush heads. Because no, you’re not supposed to use the same toothbrush for a year!
You’ll Have Cleaner Teeth with an Electric Toothbrush
Studies in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dentistry, the Journal of the International Society of Preventive and Community Dentistry, and the Journal of Clinical Dentistry all show that patients using electric toothbrushes are able to remove more plaque than patients who use manual toothbrushes. Indeed, most of the research on electronic toothbrushes concerns plaque control and the findings are encouraging.
You really don’t need all of these scientific studies to tell you how clean your teeth will be with an electric toothbrush, though. Just ask anyone you know who uses an electric toothbrush and you won’t be able to get them to stop talking about it–with an electric toothbrush, you’ll have that smooth just-had-a-dental-cleaning feeling every single day. Electric toothbrushes use rotation oscillation and/or vibration to loosen and then brush away plaque, something manual toothbrushes just can’t match.
Target Different Oral Care Needs
You can pick up simple battery-powered electric toothbrushes with features no more complicated than an on and off switch. If your budget allows you to spend a little more, you’ll have a wide array of features to choose from. Electric toothbrush settings can include:
- Whitening
- Sensitive teeth
- Gum health
- Deep cleaning
- Tongue cleaning
The most advanced electric toothbrushes on the market even connect with apps you install on your phone to help you better track your brushing habits. If you’re a tech junkie or oral hygiene fanatic, this might just be the brush for you!
That said, the most important benefit of electric toothbrushes is the vibration and oscillation. Even if you don’t want to spring for the brush with the most bells and whistles, you’ll still see an improvement in oral health from even the most affordable electronic brushes.
Get Our Toothbrush Recommendations
Our staff is always happy to discuss which type of toothbrush is right for you. Feel free to ask us for recommendations during your next dental cleaning and check-up or contact us at 408-996-8595.
Estimated to affect up to 64.8 percent of the population, dry mouth is quite common. It results from an insufficient amount of saliva in the mouth.
The condition, which is formally called xerostomia, can be caused by a number of factors, such as dehydration, medicinal side effects, or smoking. Even stress can impact your salivary production. Although dry mouth may seem like a relatively harmless condition, it can negatively affect the health of your teeth and gums.
Here are a few ways that dry mouth can be detrimental to your oral health.
Increased Likelihood of Tooth Decay
Tooth decay takes place as acid dissolves the minerals that make up the tooth material. As the dissolution occurs, the tooth enamel weakens, and holes, which are called cavities, may begin to form.
The bacteria in the mouth produce acid as a byproduct of their digestive process. Thus, whenever they feed, they release the decay-causing substance.
The mouth’s natural defense against the acid is saliva. The clear liquid, which is produced by the salivary glands, helps to neutralize acids in the mouth. The pH of normal saliva is relatively neutral. Thus, the secretion helps to raise the pH of acids, making them less corrosive.
When too little saliva is produced, the acid remains quite concentrated. As a result, it is more corrosive to the tooth material and can more rapidly incite decay.
Saliva also helps to prevent tooth decay by rinsing away particles of food that may be left in the mouth following a meal or snack. Since these leftovers become the food source of oral bacteria, by eliminating the particles, saliva helps to reduce the amount of acid produced through bacterial digestion.
Increased Likelihood of Gum Disease
Dry mouth can also increase your chance of developing gum disease. Gum disease begins due to inflammation that is often caused by the exposure of the gingival tissues to acid. When gum disease presents, the inflamed tissues may appear red or swollen. Additionally, they may bleed more easily during brushing and flossing sessions. Just as the saliva’s neutralization of acids lessens the likelihood of tooth decay, it may also reduce the occurrence of gum inflammation.
Increased Incidence of Bad Breath
Dry mouth also causes halitosis, which is commonly called bad breath. Halitosis is largely due to the presence of oral bacteria in the mouth. Many of these microbes live on the tongue, where they produce volatile sulfur compounds. The malodorous gasses are released in the mouth and subsequently into the atmosphere as the mouth is opened.
Normal levels of saliva help rinse away oral bacteria, lowering the number of smelly microbes in the oral cavity. However, when too little saliva is present, there may be an overgrowth of odor-causing bacteria, resulting in halitosis. Saliva also helps remove leftover bits of food from the mouth before they start to rot and emit a foul odor.
Increased Accumulations of Tartar
Tartar develops as plaque that is allowed to remain undisturbed for lengthy periods. The tartar is actually plaque that has hardened in position.
Plaque is a sticky mixture of oral microbes and food particles. The components that comprise the plaque are rinsed away when sufficient amounts of saliva are present in the oral cavity. However, plaque production that results in tartar development may remain unchecked when an insufficient amount of saliva is available.
If you are suffering from dry mouth, contact Ryan Senft, DDS at 408-996-8595 to schedule an appointment.
Approximately half of American adults suffer from gum disease. In the condition’s earliest stage, which is called gingivitis, relatively minor symptoms, such as gingival reddening and swelling, may present. However, as the condition worsens, so do the symptoms.
Periodontitis is a serious form of gum disease that includes the formation of pockets, or spaces, between the gums and the teeth. These pockets incite an accumulation of bacteria-filled plaque and tartar that could lead to gingival infections. The deeper the pockets, the more severe the condition.
In some instances, an infection of the gums can spread to the bone of the jaw, causing additional complications. Bone infections may result in jawbone atrophy, leading to the loosening and eventual loss of the teeth. In addition, the infection-causing oral bacteria, which may enter the bloodstream, are linked to other conditions, such as heart disease and dementia.
If you have been diagnosed with severe periodontal disease, your dental provider is likely to prescribe a dental scaling and root planing procedure. Here is a bit of information about this treatment to help you better understand it.
Why Are Dental Scaling and Root Planing Needed?
In order to help the diseased gums to heal, the dentist must treat the source of the inflammation. A primary cause of gum inflammation is the gums’ exposure to bacterial acids that irritate the sensitive tissues. As the microbes in the mouth feed on available carbohydrates, they release acids as digestive waste products.
The pockets in the gums, which develop as the gums pull away from the teeth, may trap bacteria, allowing them to accumulate and produce increasing amounts of inflammatory acid. If the plaque and tartar that contain the microbes are not removed, the acid production continues, and the state of the gums may steadily deteriorate.
The gums are also inflamed by their contact with rough or abrasive surfaces. When plaque is allowed to remain in the same position, undisturbed, it begins to harden. The hardened plaque, which is called tartar, is a porous, hard substance that is not smooth to the touch. Dental scaling and root planing smooth the rough surfaces of the tooth material to help alleviate the gingival inflammation.
What Happens During a Dental Scaling and Root Planing Treatment?
The dental scaling and root planing procedure is a two-part, deep-cleaning process. The scaling involves the scraping away of tartar and plaque from the tooth material, above and below the gum line. As the dentist performs the procedure, the pockets or spaces that have developed between the teeth and gums are cleared of debris. The root planing is the smoothing of the roots of the teeth to promote the reattachment of the gums.
What Should You Expect After Dental Scaling and Root Planing?
After a scaling and root planing procedure, you can expect your gums to heal quickly. You may notice that your gums appear tighter and less red as the swelling and irritation dissipates.
For a few hours to a couple of days following your procedure, you may experience mild discomfort, and your teeth may be a bit more sensitive to heat and cold. Nevertheless, any uncomfortable sensations usually subside rapidly.
If you are concerned about the health of your gums, contact Ryan Senft, DDS at 408-996-8595 to schedule a consultation.
When you are a new patient at a dentist’s office, the first step is usually to schedule an initial consultation. A consultation is basically an evaluation of the current condition of your teeth. If you haven’t seen a dentist in a while, you may be worried or embarrassed about the current state of your teeth.
A good dentist won’t be judgmental or make you feel bad about your current dental health. He or she simply wants to help restore your teeth to the best possible condition, improving your health and well-being. But if you’re still feeling a little uncomfortable about that first appointment, it may help to know what to expect. Here’s what happens during a typical new patient dental consultation.
Paperwork
Anytime you visit a new office, you’ll be required to fill out some paperwork. They’ll want to know basic things like your name and address, as well as your health and dental history. Be sure to bring your insurance card with you if you have dental insurance. If you are transferring from a previous dentist’s office, call and request that your records be sent to the new office.
Dental Examination
Next, you’ll be called back to an examination room for a dental exam. A dental hygienist often performs the basic examination, making notes for the dentist. Your teeth, gums, mouth, and jaw bone will be evaluated, looking for things like cavities, enamel erosion, and receding gums. The dentist will then perform a more thorough examination, also making notes in your file (most likely on a computer or tablet).
It’s important for your dentist to establish a baseline of your current dental health in order to make decisions about further treatment. If you are in need of fillings, crowns, implants, or other dental procedures, your dentist may prioritize needed work based on urgency.
X-Rays
You can expect to have x-rays made of your teeth during that first visit. X-rays are another tool to gain information about your current dental health. The images show things that can’t be seen by the naked eye. For example, dark, shadowy areas in your teeth suggest cavities. The health of your jawbones can also be evaluated through x-ray images, which is a key factor when making decisions about the possibility of implants.
Conversation Between You and Your Dentist
Your dentist will want to know what you hope to gain through dental treatment. Are you looking for better oral health? Do you hope to improve your appearance through teeth straightening, whitening, or other cosmetic dentistry? Your dentist will want to know why you are seeking dental care, and it’s best for you to be as honest as possible so that you are both on the same page and working toward the same goals.
Making a Plan for Further Treatment
Taking into consideration the results of your examination and x-rays, as well as your dental goals, your dentist will formulate a treatment plan. This is an outline of the best course of action and the necessary steps to get the desired results. In some cases, the next steps may just be regular exams and cleanings. If you need more in-depth dental procedures, you may be scheduled for additional appointments.
Looking for a New Dentist?
Dr. Ryan Senft, DDS, provides advanced comprehensive dentistry in Cupertino, CA and the surrounding area. Contact us today to schedule your consultation: 408-996-8595.
Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is a chronic medical condition that causes sufferers to stop breathing for short periods during the night. It is relatively common, affecting an estimated 18 to 30 million adults in the United States, but it can be dangerous. Sleep apnea raises the risks for other health conditions and can even cause sudden death.
Snoring is one of the most common symptoms of sleep apnea, yet snoring can also be caused by a myriad of factors including allergies, colds, and even the shape of your sinuses. Here is what you should know about snoring and sleep apnea.
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Besides snoring, sleep apnea can cause a variety of symptoms. Each person is different, so you may or may not experience these common signs:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Nighttime teeth grinding
- Noticeable pauses in breathing during sleep
If your symptoms are mild, they may be nearly unnoticeable or easily chalked up to simply getting a poor night’s sleep. People with worse symptoms often report a feeling of drowning when waking during the night or a sense that they are physically unable to stay awake during the day.
Sleep Study
A sleep study is the only way to get a definite diagnosis of sleep apnea. These are traditionally held in medical sleep labs. You will arrive between 8 and 9 p.m. to check in and change into your sleeping attire.
You will then be hooked up to a variety of wires, including electrodes, to track your movements and sleep stages, an EKG to monitor your heart rate, an oxygen sensor on your finger and a nasal monitor to track your breathing. You may also have elastic bands around your stomach and chest to monitor your breathing effort and a microphone at your throat to check for snoring.
You will sleep in a hospital bed until 6 or 7 a.m., and then be awakened, disconnected, and allowed to shower and change. Your physician will schedule a follow-up appointment to discuss your results.
Home Sleep Tests
Though sleep labs try to make patients comfortable, they are not the most pleasant places to spend the night. Increasingly, physicians are ordering home sleep tests when possible instead. You will receive a small handheld monitoring system that is about the same size as a telephone handset. Following the provided instructions, you will connect the monitoring devices before you go to sleep and leave them on overnight. You will not have the electrodes that are used in sleep labs.
You may need to use the equipment for up to three nights. When you are finished, you will return the device to the coordinating office, get your results, and share them with your dentist.
Sleep Apnea Treatments
The traditional treatment for sleep apnea is a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine. However, many people struggle to breathe normally with the machine. Others find the bulky equipment and elaborate setup difficult to manage, especially when traveling.
There are other variations on the CPAP machine, but patients and dentists are increasingly turning to the sleep apnea mouthguard instead. These small, easy to carry devices look similar to sports mouthguards, but they are carefully designed to pull the lower jaw forward and prevent overnight airway collapse. Though no single treatment is right for everyone, it is worth asking your dentist if this is the right solution for you.
Ready to Get Started?
If you are ready to start your journey to better oral health with a Cupertino dentist you can trust, contact Ryan Senft, DDS today at 408-996-8595 to schedule your first appointment.
A smile makeover is a radical enhancement of teeth that are healthy but do not look as good as they could. It typically involves multiple cosmetic procedures that work together to give you the smile of your dreams. Here is what to expect from your smile makeover.
Smile Analysis
The first step is a detailed analysis of your current smile. We will examine every facet of your smile, from tooth length and spacing to individual tooth texture and color. We will also take a close look at your facial shape and features, your skin tone, and even your hair. In addition, we will look for dental health issues, such as gum disease or tooth decay, that must be addressed before your smile makeover begins.
Discussion and Goal Setting
Although you may be longing for a “perfect smile,” teeth that are too white, too straight, and too perfect typically look unnatural. If you are sure that is the smile for you, we may recommend cheek restructuring, lip plumping, and other facial cosmetic treatments to better support an abstractly “perfect” smile.
For most people, the perfect “natural smile” is actually the better option. This is a smile that is whiter, straighter, and more perfect than the one you currently have, but it is uniquely yours. It fits your face and retains your personality.
We encourage you to bring in photos of your childhood smile as well as different smiles that you admire. Discussing the things you like and dislike about different smiles will help us design a smile that incorporates those features while retaining your unique look.
Digital Design
Next, we will take digital photographs and impressions of your current smile, and then use digital design software to create a 3-D model. We will morph the model to produce your proposed new smile and then make adjustments as needed and desired. This is a collaborative process between you and us, so please speak up about anything you want to change.
Better Overall Health
A varied and nutritious diet of properly chewed foods is vital to overall health. Yet crooked, misshapen, or missing teeth can make it difficult to eat some foods. This can lead to gastrointestinal issues and even cause you to restrict your diet.
In addition, gum disease and tooth decay have been linked to serious health concerns. Your dental problems may be cosmetic for now, but fixing them can boost your overall health and wellness.
Treatment Planning
When we are all happy with the digital model, we will sit down to talk about how to achieve that smile. We will explain the various procedures that are involved, along with their benefits, risks, and costs. Our friendly billing staff can help you understand your insurance coverage and out of pocket costs, and can help you find third party financing if desired.
Wax Modeling
When you are comfortable with the digital design and treatment plan, we will take impressions of your teeth and use them to create a wax mockup of your new smile. This allows you to see your new smile up close, and it lets us ensure that the bite and overall functionality are correct. This is the time to make any final tweaks you desire.
The Treatment Process
Smile makeovers range from simple to complex, depending on the current condition of your teeth and the changes you desire. In general, though, you will go through several stages of treatment. First, we will fix any existing dental disease you have. Then we will begin the series of procedures we discussed.
If the procedures are simple, such as whitening followed by veneers, you may only need a couple of appointments in a short time frame. If you need Invisalign, followed by dental implants, and then veneers, your total treatment time may be a year or more. Regardless of how long the full process takes, though, each procedure is another step closer to the smile of your dreams.
Ready to Get Started?
If you are ready to start your journey to better oral health with a Cupertino dentist you can trust, contact Ryan Senft, DDS today at 408-996-8595 to schedule your first appointment.
Not too long ago, cosmetic dentistry was expensive and tough to find. You were considered lucky if your teeth were healthy, even if they were crooked, stained, or misshapen. Crowns, fillings, dentures, and other restorations were unwieldy and unattractive, as the technology did not exist to truly mimic natural teeth.
Today, affordable cosmetic dentistry has become the norm. Regardless of genetics, it is now possible for anyone to have the smile they envision. A talented cosmetic dentist, utilizing the latest technology, can design and create a truly stunning smile. Yet many people wonder whether they should spend the money. Here are 5 reasons to invest in cosmetic dentistry.
1. Self-Confidence
With brilliant white smiles so easy to obtain, people with imperfect teeth tend to hide them. You might learn to smile with your mouth closed, turn down dates, and even stop participating in social gatherings. Even when your teeth are hidden, you may not like your appearance, as sunken cheeks and tight lips are the natural result of failing or missing teeth.
Cosmetic dentistry can restore your self-confidence. You might find yourself standing up straighter, smiling easily, speaking loudly, and even grabbing the spotlight. This newfound self-confidence can spill over to all aspects of your life.
2. Career Enhancement
No matter what job you have, building rapport with prospects, clients, and supervisors is essential. Hiding your smile can make you seem insincere or aloof, while showing bad teeth can keep you from being taken seriously. With a winning new smile, you can climb the career ladder faster than you ever imagined.
3. Better Oral Health
Teeth that have gaps, are crooked, or are misshapen are difficult to clean, putting you at risk for gum disease and tooth decay. A bite that is misaligned can make chewing difficult and increase your chances of developing TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder). Fixing your cosmetic dental issues can greatly improve your oral health.
4. Better Overall Health
A varied and nutritious diet of properly chewed foods is vital to overall health. Yet crooked, misshapen, or missing teeth can make it difficult to eat some foods. This can lead to gastrointestinal issues and even cause you to restrict your diet.
In addition, gum disease and tooth decay have been linked to serious health concerns. Your dental problems may be cosmetic for now, but fixing them can boost your overall health and wellness.
5. Investing in Yourself
In today’s demanding, “always on” world, it is common to put yourself last. Career, family, and other obligations can leave you feeling drained, overwhelmed, and exhausted. Investing in cosmetic dentistry is an investment in yourself. Sit back and take a breather while your cosmetic dentist takes care of you.
Ready to Get Started?
If you are ready to start your journey to better oral health with a Cupertino dentist you can trust, contact Ryan Senft, DDS today at 408-996-8595 to schedule your first appointment.
Selfies are a fact of life in today’s smartphone-obsessed world. Yet many people dislike how they look in photos, and many of their complaints are focused on their smiles. Hollywood celebrities know how to make themselves more photogenic, but the average person may worry that a camera-ready smile is out of reach. Fortunately, these easy tips can give you a Hollywood smile.
1. Pay Attention to Lipstick Color
Your lipstick choice can affect the perceived color of your teeth, especially in photos. If your teeth are yellowed or stained, choose a pink or blue undertone to make them appear whiter. Darker colors such as wine or plum also make the teeth look whiter. Bright or intense lipstick colors reproduce strangely in photos and will highlight imperfections in your smile.
2. Choose a Natural Pose
If you don’t smile for a living, you may tend to tense up for photos. A wide, fake grin can look like a grimace, while a tight, face-crinkling smile can make your face look scrunched and out of proportion. Instead, take a deep breath and relax into a gentle, natural smile. Let your mouth fall open slightly and allow your lower lip to follow the curve of your bottom teeth. This creates the dreamy smile associated with happy memories, making you look alluring in photographs.
3. Practice, Practice, Practice
Everyone has unique features, and you can only find your best angles through trial and error. Play around in front of the mirror, tossing your hair and experimenting with various poses. Then snap a few selfies in your favorite poses. Remember that your reflection in the mirror is different than your reproduction on camera, so test out your mirror poses on your camera phone.
4. Consider a Smile Makeover
A smile makeover corrects cosmetic issues with your smile. If you have any dental health issues, such as gum disease or tooth decay, those must be addressed first, leaving your mouth clean and healthy.
Your smile makeover starts with digital photographs and x-rays. You and your dentist will sit down and discuss smiles you like, as well as your goals and expectations, and then design your smile. Remember that what you want is the perfect smile for you, not some geometrically perfect smile that doesn’t fit your face. We will consider your coloring, your features, and even your hair when designing a natural-looking, beautiful smile.
Smile makeovers often include multiple treatments. For example, you might have two teeth veneered and the others whitened. Or you might have Invisalign followed by veneers. The goal is to ensure that each individual tooth looks great on its own, while also blending harmoniously with the surrounding teeth.
Actors, models, and other professional smilers are accustomed to making themselves look good in photos. For everyone else, though, a photogenic smile takes effort. Depending on the condition of your teeth, new lipstick and some practice may be all you need. If your mouth is in rough shape, though, a full smile makeover may be the best choice. Either way, you can easily get the photogenic smile of your dreams.
Ready to Get Started?
If you are ready to start your journey to better oral health with a Cupertino dentist you can trust, contact Ryan Senft, DDS today at 408-996-8595 to schedule your first appointment.
