By Dr. Pat Crawford

Our body has a number of ways or expressions to communicate and smile is one such expression. When we smile, we flex our facial muscles to convey the message. In most of the cultures smiling is perceived as a positive emotion. Well, we do tend to smile at people because it is believed to increase attractiveness and likability. Some even believe it makes us look younger and attractive. It is worth mentioning that smiles do affect interpersonal cooperation as it is one of the trust building factors. Smiles have the power of setting messed up things in place.

Do people really need to improve the way they smile? Well, study has shown that many people are unhappy with their smile – some may have problems with their teeth (symmetry or color or space) while there are people who are shy of smiling. Many indivduals have missed their goals (personal or professional) owing to bad smile or shy of smiling, which affects their self-confidence.

Listed below are some of the tips to help improve your smile:

1. Maintain oral hygiene
Bad breath or something stuck in your teeth can make you hesitant to smile. Make sure you brush your teeth and tongue regularly. Brushing removes germs and a toothpaste rich in calcium and fluoride helps keep gums and teeth healthy meaning you can smile longer!

2. Flossing
Always keep floss with you as it is very handy in removing food particles hence the germs that feed on them. Floss can reach between your teeth where even a toothbrush is hard to reach. Dentist worldwide recommend that you should make it a regular habit to floss your teeth.

3. Choose healthy diet
Choosing a healthy diet for your teeth and gums is very important. Foods rich in calcium like kale and citrus fruits help in keeping your teeth and gums fit. However, avoiding certain foods like sugary foods is as good as eating a healthy diet. Foods rich in calcium and vitamin C boost health of your gums and teeth while foods too much of sugar content aid in the growth of bacteria thereby resulting in complications. Apart from this, it is also improtant that don’t smoke as smoking leads to bad breath, stained teeth and increases the chances of getting oral cancer.

4. Visiting a dentist
Dentists are the specialists in any case and they can track any deformity or any sign of infection, which may lead to any disease later on. Visiting a dentist every six months is preferred and in case someone is prone to any disease visiting thrice a year is recommended. Dentists can also guide you for your diet with respect to your teeth and gums.

5. Cosmetic procedures
Cosmetic dentistry has advanced remarkably, which has given people many options (effective and proven options) to fix their cosmetic dental problems. Today, people undergo this treatment to correct their crooked teeth , improve their stained teeth, some go for straightening oddly shaped teeth or even close gaps between the teeth.

6. Teeth whitening
Though, over the counter teeth whitening products do not harm your teeth as long as products used are genuine and your teeth are health otherwise but it is better to take advice of your dentist before going for any whitening procedures. This is an easy practice to improve the look of your teeth and hence give you a more attractive and confident smile without spending a lot of money.

These are some of the practical tips that can help you to improve your smile. For the number of benefits a smile has, the above mentioned smile improving tips are worth a shot.

– Pat Crawford is an experienced dentist who gives advice on mouth care, dental implants, and fitness. To get free consultation, visit his web site.