6 Secrets To An Amazing Smile

Our panel of dental experts share their trade secrets for getting a gorgeous grin.

- Pip Harry

Do you have perfect pearly whites, or could your teeth do with a tune-up? Either way, it pays to stay on top of your dental care. “Healthy teeth and gums and a confident smile are very important assets in our personal and professional life,” says dental surgeon DR SHAUN THOMPSON of Expat Dental. “Regular check-ups and proper hygiene cleaning are the keys to that killer smile. Our teeth need and deserve a little love every day to keep our smiles looking great and avoid funky breath that no one appreciates!”

If you do strike dental trouble, don’t procrastinate. “In life, love and dentistry, prevention is the name of the game,” says Dr Thompson. “If you wait until it hurts or breaks, the repair takes longer and is more expensive. The dark ages of dentistry are over, and maintaining your gorgeous smile with your dentist can actually be a fantastic experience.”

# 1 WHITE OUT

There’s no reason to give up your beloved morning coffee and occasional glass of red wine. Teeth whitening can restore a bright, white appearance even to the most stained of teeth and make you look years younger.

“Teeth-whitening procedures can be divided into in-clinic or home-whitening methods,” says DR STEVEN SOO of Specialist Dental Group.

In-clinic chair-side whitening involves applying a carbamide peroxide-based gel to the teeth with activation by light. “Usually, two 15-minute cycles are sufficient to whiten the teeth,” says Dr Soo. “Your dentist will scale and polish the teeth first to remove surface plaque and calculus that would prevent the gel making contact with the enamel. The lips and gums are isolated prior to the gel application. The whole procedure takes approximately one hour.”