The Secrets Of A Couture Smile

With the constant flash of the paparazzi and the endless selfies, having a dazzling white smile is essential for Hollywood stars. And it’s a trend that has crossed the Atlantic and having a “couture smile” is now a firm favourite with the UK crowd.

Many of us now strive to have the ‘perfect’ smile through straightening procedure, teeth whitening and “smile make-overs” all of which are not just aesthetically pleasing but can boost wellbeing, self-esteem and confidence. When we are happy, our natural response is to smile. Smiling and laughing can have a positive effect on well-being and health by reducing stress, which leads to lower heart rate and blood pressure. These simple facial expressions can change the way other people perceive you, this can range from being more attractive to reliable and motivated.

There are several factors which can contribute to having the ‘perfect’ smile, these include size and width of the tooth, the curve, colour and shape of the teeth in the overall width of the mouth.

Dr Giacomo Favero, Favero Dental Clinic and one of London Medical Concierge’s network of medical experts, reveals his secrets of a stunning designer smile ahead of National Smile Month. “Creating a truly couture smile that is bespoke to the individual involves not just artistry by science. You need to have an artistic eye, be well trained and experienced, but also you need to know the golden rules that make a smile truly beautiful.”

• Natural teeth are not all one colour. They are lighter and more translucent at the ends, and darker and more opaque at the root. General dentists are using a standard shade guide as reference to choose the colour of the restorations, that is a normal metal ceramic crown. Moreover, the majority of dentists don’t take photos of their patient’s teeth, which is one of the most important diagnostic tool to transfer the right colour information to the master ceramist (dental technician), with the end result of standard cutter crowns, veneers or dental implant crowns that are entirely opaque and one colour throughout, without any texture, any translucency or characterisation. This can end up with a tooth that looks fake and not in harmony with the rest of the other teeth.
• The two central teeth should be identical. Symmetry is very important, and the eye is instantly drawn to anything uneven, which detracts from the beauty of the smile.
• The ideal width for the two central teeth is 8.9mm and their length should be 10.9mm.
• Men tend to have larger faces than women, however, teeth don’t vary according to gender. We have come to think that it looks feminine and attractive if a woman’s teeth appear slightly larger in her face than they do in a male face. Men appear more masculine if their teeth appear proportionately smaller.
• Women’s teeth should be slightly rounded, for a youthful, feminine look. Square teeth look more masculine and can give a slightly aggressive, older appearance.
• Gums should be symmetrical. If gums are very asymmetrical or come low on the teeth, then you can have minor gum surgery to correct this.
• A beautiful smile extends close to the corners of the mouth (the buccal corridor) when the patient is smiling. Studies show that this is considered more attractive than smiles with areas of darkness in the corners.
• A real couture smile may include small imperfections for a natural look. If a patient doesn’t like their smile but wants to keep a little gap between their front teeth, this can be recreated with specialist veneers or crowns.

Dr Giacomo Favero adds, “If you decide to go forward with surgery to correct your smile, then safety is extremely important. The priority for any dentist is to achieve the best possible results without risking your health or potentially damaging your teeth. Make sure that you find a dentist who has the right qualifications and is on the appropriate specialist register to protect yourself from unwanted results.”

For further information please see www.londonmedicalconcierge.co.uk. National Smile Month runs from 15^th May – 15^th June 2017 http://www.nationalsmilemonth.org/.