3 Ways to Improve Your Smile (2024)

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Co-authored byTu Anh Vu, DMD

Last Updated: July 12, 2023References

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   Brush your teeth twice a day.^[1] Brushing your teeth is an essential part of your health. Unfortunately, many people don't put the proper time and effort into it. Give yourself at least two minutes to brush your teeth, focusing on the molars and parts of your teeth that are otherwise hard to get to. Try dividing your mouth into four sections, and spend 30 seconds on each. Be gentle but thorough with your toothbrushing.^[2]

   • A whitening toothpaste is recommended if you want to maximize your smile.
   • Flossing once a day is a good way to improve your oral hygiene routine.^[3][4]
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   See a dentist.^[5] Going to see a dentist should be a no-brainer if you want to improve your smile. Dentists are trained professionals who specialize in maximizing the brightness of smiles. If you haven't seen a dentist in a while, it's a really good idea to go as soon as possible. Make a regular habit of seeing a dentist at least once every 6 months.^[6][7]

   • Dentists can be expensive. Although basic check-ups aren't too pricey all things considered, oral surgeries are best approached with some insurance at hand.

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   Stop smoking. Smoking is one of the most injurious things you can do to your smile. Your skin will pale out, and your teeth will get yellow. This damage is usually gradual, but can sometimes completely destroy a smile if left unchecked.^[8] It's never an easy thing to stop smoking, but your body will thank you in more ways than one if you do.^[9]

   • Ask your doctor about a smoking cessation aid if you feel you need one to go through with it. This can take the form of a skin patch, or medication designed to turn you off of smoking.
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   Apply whitening strips. Whitening strips effectively bleach your teeth to become a brighter shade of white.^[10] Buy a box, and apply them twice a day for a couple of weeks, or until the box runs out. Improvements should be noticeable within a few days, and will last for a few months before you have to start the process over again. It's not a total solution for teeth whitening, but it can have a significant impact on your smile if yellowness is a concern of yours.^[11]

   • You can get your teeth whitened at a dentist's office as well. This operation can be fairly expensive however. Appointments take between 30-60 minutes, and are relatively painless.^[12]
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   Consider braces. Braces are expensive and time-consuming, but they have the power to completely transform someone's smile.^[13] If your dentist recommends you for orthodontic surgery, you should seriously consider going through with it. It may be expensive, but the effect it'll have on your smile will be worth it.

   See Also

   A Beginner's Guide to Teeth Whitening Strips11 Ways to Smile Naturally - wikiHowMy Smile Review for June 2024 | Best Teeth Whiteners7 Ways to Smile - wikiHow

   • If you feel self-conscious about wearing braces, there are "invisible" alternatives you can use instead. This is a good option if you feel anxiety towards wearing traditional braces.^[14]
   • Braces can be worn at any age. Although they're commonly associated with adolescence, there are lots of adults who decide to get them later on in life.^[15] A winning smile looks great at any age.

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   Consider the message you want to get across by smiling. Smiling is something you do physically, but a truly great smile must be felt as well. This is something many people overlook when they're trying to improve their smile. People smile when they want to show affection, amusem*nt, confidence and pride. All of these expressions have their place in a successful life, and will benefit you in different ways. A confident smile, for example, will be great for professional situations, while an affectionate smile may earn you new friends along the way.

   • It's been widely documented that people will make assumptions on everything from intelligence to career success based on someone's smile.^[16]
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   Be natural with your smiles.^[17] Being able to tell a sincere smile from a false one is deeply engrained in most of us. Think of a smile you thought didn't seem quite right. If you're not relaxed and feeling the smile sincerely, it will probably show on your face in some way. Let your face relax, and try to get in the proper mood of smiling.

   • Give yourself an honest break with smiling if you find yourself fixated on it. You're not going to make any progress with it if you're feeling tense. Giving yourself a minute to relax is sometimes worth far more than an additional minute of effort.
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   Smile according to the shape of your face. If you want to find a look that's perfect for you, you can actually try to condition yourself into a smile that better suits the look of your face. Longer faces work well with open smiles that show teeth. Wider smiles from ear to ear are great for boxier face shapes.

   • Keep in mind that re-teaching yourself how to smile can be a very frustrating process, especially if you're trying to act natural while you're at it.
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   Wear lipstick. A moderate brand of lipstick can brighten the look of teeth and attract eyes to your smile.^[18] If you wear lipstick and want a better smile, work lipstick into your solution. You can get a lot out of it if done correctly.

   • Red lipstick is a standard choice specifically because it is eye-catching. The colour contrast will brighten your teeth. Less bold colours may work better for dark skin tones. It's most important to find a colour that matches your skin, and from there you choose a bolder shade than you're regularly used to.
   • It's important not to overdo it with lipstick or any type of cosmetics. Going overboard has a cartoonish effect.
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   Tilt your head while smiling. Not everyone has a perfect, symmetrical smile. One way you can make your smile more flattering is if you tilt your head nonchalantly to the side. This can be very endearing if done subtly, and any visible imperfections you have will be lessened as a result.

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   Practice in the mirror.^[19] If you really want to perfect your smile, there's nothing you can do better than to give yourself some practice. While it's a good thing to make a regular habit of smiling whenever, smiling in the mirror gives you the opportunity to see how your smile actually looks. From there, you can tweak your smile until you've got one that matches what you want. Don't be worried about perfection. If you feel a natural smile coming out, chances are that's the best one to suit you and your personality.

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   Stretch your smile. As it goes with the rest of your body, you can literally train your smile to become better. One of the go-to exercises to make this happen is by stretching your mouth. Done repeatedly over time, this will make your mouth more limber and ready for expression.

   • First off, stretch the corners of your mouth to the sides. Keep your lips together while you do this, and hold for 10 seconds per rep.
   • After your 10 second hold, open your mouth to expose the fronts of your teeth. Hold for another 10 seconds.
   • Open your mouth further to the point where about half of your teeth are showing. Hold for another 10 seconds.
   • You can repeat the steps in reverse to close the smile back down gradually. A full rep of this exercise will take about a minute, and can be repeated as many times as you like.
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   Erase smile lines with a pursed smile. Everyone should know that a smile is more than teeth and a mouth; it's got to do with the whole face. Smile lines are a natural result of age. Luckily, they can be reduced with this simple exercise. Pucker up your lips as though you were about to kiss someone. Next, holding that position, try to smile as much as you can. Hold it until you can feel an ache around your mouth. This will mean that the muscles are responding to your exercise.

   • It's recommended you only do this exercise once per day, in order to prevent straining the muscles of your face.
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   Exercise your cheek muscles. You cheeks cannot be underestimated when it comes to forming a smile. Cheeks influence the control you have over your smile. To start, smile as widely as you can while keeping your lips closed. Holding this close-lipped, ear-to-ear grin, try to wiggle your nose around for at least 5 seconds. Repeat this easy exercise 10 times in a row. All told, it shouldn't take more than a minute to do all of it.^[20]

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   Commit to a regular exercise routine. Because these mouth exercises are fairly easy to do, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to work them into a morning routine. Given that the faces you'll make will be fairly silly, it's probably something you'll want to do while you're still in bed or in the shower. Nonetheless, for the best effects, you should try to remember to follow through with these exercises at least once per day.^[21]

   • Remember to look at your smile regularly as well. You won't be able to see any difference if you're not taking some time to look at the very thing you're trying to improve upon.
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   Smile often. If you mean to train your body to do something, it stands to reason you should do a lot of it. Making a frequent habit of smiling will help improve your smile in a lot of ways. For starters, the muscles you use to smile will be put to use. More importantly however, if you make a regular habit of smiling, it will come more naturally to you. Even if you have to fake it until you make it at the start, you'll eventually find yourself smiling a lot more than you first thought possible.^[22]

   • If you're just smiling by yourself, try giving yourself the widest smile possible to maximize the effects of the exercise.^[23]

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   See Also

   How to Have the Perfect Smile: 12 Tips for a Picture-Perfect Grin

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