No matter what dress you choose, the standout feature for your prom look will be your smile. But you don’t need perfect teeth to have a beautiful smile. You just need our tips on How to Have Whiter-Looking Teeth with Braces and Without!
HEALTH TIPS:
Brush & floss all the time
Keep a toothbrush and mini toothpaste in your bookbag and brush your teeth after lunch. It really will help keep your teeth white and your breath fresh!
Get your teeth cleaned religiously
It’s plaque buildup that causes the worst staining so your 1st line of defense should always be getting your teeth cleaned twice a year.
1. Use a safe whitener
The absolutely safest route is to go to your dentist for whitening, but you can also make a big difference by using a “whitening” tooth polish that has baking soda.
Important tip: Read the label! You want to make sure to choose a whitening toothpaste that’s been approved by the ADA (American Dental Association).
Best option: Get all whitening treatments—other than an ADA approved toothpaste—only from your dentist!
2. Wait 30 minutes to brush
After eating or drinking an acid food like orange juice and grapefruit juice that are highly acidic (also tomatoes) if you brush too soon, there’s a possibility you’ll brush the acid right into your tooth enamel.
Tip: Drink water after every meal to flush away the acid then as before, wait 30 minutes before brushing.
3. Scrape away plaque naturally
Eating crunchy foods like apples and carrots can help to lift away the plaque that can make your lips look darker.
Yes! Carrots do come in all these colors! Here’s a site to tell you all about them: https://underthesunseeds.com/products/100-carrot-rainbow-mix-vegetable-seeds-under-the-sun-seeds?utm_campaign=Pinterest%20Buy%20Button&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Pinterest&utm_content=pinterest-buy-button-1899146b9-4c27-47aa-ae4e-6f7a87d8cdb0
4. Drink beverages through a straw
Not only will this help your lipstick stay on but the straw will help the fluids bypass your teeth, so there’s less chance of staining.
MAKEUP TIPS:
Add a little light bronzer
Just like in the summer when you have a tan, and your teeth look brighter, you can do the same thing with a bronzer both in the winter and anytime. Don’t use too much, though. “Less is definitely more” when it comes to anything that will darken your skin.
5. Use a blue or cool-toned lip gloss
Teeth have a blue tone, so blue-based gloss acts as a “frame” around your smile.
Colors to try: raspberry and purple-ish tones.
6. Wear red lipstick
This is a classic, but it really does work. It’s the huge color contrast that does the trick so grab a red and give it a try.
Tip: ALWAYS use a lip liner when you wear red!
7. Avoid orange, neon & too much frost
http://www.elle.com/beauty/makeup-skin-care/tips/a26523/lipstick-shades-that-make-teeth-look-whiter/
Orange just doesn’t work unless your pearly whites are already super-pearly.
Neon is, well…just don’t wear neon unless it’s a costume party look.
A little shimmer is fine, but if the color is too frosty, your lips will look lighter so your teeth will look darker.
IF YOU HAVE BRACES
Today’s braces are more fashion-forward than years ago. Not only can you get clear bands but you can also get colored rubber bands. So the 1st thing to do is to choose a rubber band to make our teeth look whiter—like red or blue!
Also, there are a few things you can do that are variations on standard tooth care.
- Just like above, make sure you choose a whitening toothpaste that’s been approved by the ADA (American Dental Association).
- Use a round-end toothbrush with soft bristles
- You can try electric or sonic toothbrushes because they do a more thorough job but you might still need a manual toothbrush to clean around your brackets.
- Hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums.
- Gently brush side to side
- Brush the front, back, and biting surfaces of all of your teeth.
- Take a full two minutes to brush your teeth – preferably three
- Ask you dentist about a cone-shaped (interdental) toothbrush. They’re small and are designed to fit under the wires of your braces
- Floss more—and yes, that can be tricky with braces so if you have trouble, use a floss threader
- Drink water after every meal to flush away the acid then as before, wait 30 minutes before brushing.
One caution about whitening with braces:
The whitening solution won’t be able to get under the brackets, so you may still end up with dark or dull places. Therefore, other than whitening toothpaste, consider skipping the formal whitening until after your braces come off. Then give yourself a treat for being so patient!
