Invisalign - How to Perfect Your Wedding Day Smile

We all know that preparing for your wedding can be less than relaxing. With little time to pamper and preen, many brides can be left lacking in confidence. Behavioural expert Judi James and celebrity dental practitioner Dr.Graham Tinkler share their tips on how to prepare for the big day...

 

 

Invisalign ambassador and behavioural expert Judi James gives her top tips to prepare for the big day:

When you think of the perfect bride you will always think of a woman who is smiling. Smiling will not only reflect your levels of undiluted adoration for your groom, you’ll also be performing bouts of social smiling throughout the day in your role of host, greeter and thanker.

A smile should be a simple demand on what is supposed to be the happiest day of your life, but unfortunately it can be harder than you might think. Firstly there’s the problem of habit. The build-up to a wedding can be stressful as you deal with problems in the event planning, packing for honeymoon, and any workplace hand-overs.

 

Then there’s the challenge of performed smiling when there are cameras around. Some professional wedding photographers are very good at making their brides smile for the camera but more and more brides are opting for the natural, less formal style of wedding photography, not realising that being caught ‘unaware’ can mean your day is marked with what can look like expressions of exhaustion, bossiness, irritation or champagne-fuelled gurning!

 

It’s your smile that will be remembered by your guests, your groom and by you when you look at your wedding photos. For the photos it’s safest to do what the celebrities do and work up a camera smile that you’ve honed first. On the run up to your big day practice smiling in front of the mirror so you get used to what feels comfortable and looks natural. This may feel vain but it’s important to know how it feels and to make sure your smile gets maximum effect. The perfect smile you’re looking to achieve is when the eyes create a half-moon shape crinkling at the corners, the top teeth are displayed with a slight showing of bottom teeth and the smile is symmetrical across the face.

If you do feel your photo smile is getting rigid or stretched then re-boot quickly. Look down or look behind you, pull your lips together tightly and stretch your mouth horizontally as you do so you flex and relax the mouth-muscles. Run your tongue over your front teeth, breathe out, then turn back and re-apply the (now more relaxed-looking) smile. With this practiced smile you can appear confident and relaxed, even if you feel like a nervous wreck!

 

Dr Graham Tinkler shares his top tips to prepare for your special day:

I would always recommend visiting the dentist every 6 months to prevent any dramatic dental work. I tell my patients to try and avoid food and drink that will stain your teeth, especially red wine and orange juice. But if you can’t cut these out altogether, then teeth whitening is a great way to get dazzling results for your wedding day.

Feeling self-conscious about your teeth can have a dramatic effect on your confidence. I have seen many patients who would hide their teeth when they smile or drop their head to cover their mouths. Teeth straightening is a great way to enhance your natural smile so you can be more confident on your big day; an ideal treatment for brides-to-be is Invisalign.

Invisalign involves a set of clear, removable aligners which are custom-made to fit snugly over teeth to direct tooth movement. Each aligner is individually designed for your teeth, with a different set worn every 2 weeks to gradually move the teeth into the desired position. The Invisalign treatment fits simply and easily into your daily routine, without any fuss or embarrassment to your appearance. With no metal wires or brackets, there’s no need to worry about mouth irritations, as the aligners are comfortable to wear and can be easily removed, meaning if you haven’t finished your treatment before your wedding, you can just remove them for the day! Straight teeth are actually much easier to keep clean as well and more aesthetically pleasing, so you’re more likely to make effort to keep them clean.

You can find out more about Dr Tinkler's work with Invisalign here