As Love Island drives a 10% increase in teeth whitening, here are 5 ways to improve your smile
Whether you like it or not, it's hard to ignore Love Island. With ITV recently announcing its increase in profit of eight per cent year-on-year thanks to the show, there's proof that Love Island has grasped many of us up and down the country. And even more surprising, the show has gone on to boost sales in both the fashion and beauty industry. So much so that Rapid White, pioneers in at-home teeth whitening, have reported a 10 per cent increase in sales since the series started. Whether you want a Love Island smile or perhaps want to go a step further and smooth out unwanted colour or age-bumps, here are the teeth-tweakments to know now.
Going to the dentist is not what it used to be. Dentist check ups used to be an annual trip to ensure your teeth weren't rotting and your general gum health was tip-top. Now? Going to the dentist is as frequent to some as going to the hairdressers and has become a huge part of many women's beauty regimes. So much so, according to the Mintel Dentistry Report, cosmetic dental treatment saw a cumulative increase of 34 per cent from ￡1.9 billion in 2013 to ￡2.55 billion in 2017, proving dental tweakments to be on the rise. It also revealed that 30 per cent of Brits are unhappy with their teeth, of which over 27 per cent would definitely consider teeth whitening as a non-invasive treatment.
"Going to the dentist is a frightening experience for many and is often something that gets passed on from one generation to the other," says Dr Jerome Sebah who founded The Dentist Gallery. The Dentist Gallery is the antithesis of a 'scary' dental surgery. Sebah founded the friendly-gallery after he conducted a survey among his clients, where he found 30 per cent of them were thinking of leaving the waiting room because they were scared of what was to come.
Teeth bleaching
Who doesn't want whiter, straighter teeth? It's the ultimate smart-ager and thankfully is now more affordable and accessible. For professional in-chair treatments, you will have a mouth-shield fitted to your gums with hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide and then a light or laser is shone onto your teeth to enhance the process. If you don't have the time to go into the dentist at-home kits live up to their name too.
Prices from ￡290 at www.thedentistgallery.com
Rapid White Blue Light Tooth Whitening System, ￡20
Brushing your teeth
Brushing your teeth has advanced massively and no longer involves a mediocre, twice-a-day brush. "Thanks to savvy, smart toothbrushes, your dentist can now track how well you are brushing your teeth at home and will keep a log of the areas you have missed and need to work on, " says Dr Rhona Eskander.
Philips Sonicare Diamondclean Toothbrush, ￡360
If you can't afford to part with hundreds of pounds on a toothbrush, there are options such as the Ubersonic Club that offers a pay-monthly service of ￡9 for a smart toothbrush.
Ubersonic Electric Toothbrush from ￡9 a month
And if electric toothbrushes aren't your thing, regular bristle-brushes are in a league of their own.
Tripleflex Smoothbrush by The Dentist Gallery, ￡5
"Manual toothbrush bristles have improved by being tapered at the end which means that they can fit in between the teeth," says Sebah. "It can reach areas where the plaque accumulates, especially under the gums which is a stubborn place to tackle," advises Sebah.
How to brush your teeth
"Most people brush their teeth like they are brushing leather shoes because they are too focused on the surface of their teeth," advises Sebah. When brushing, you should focus only on using the toothbrush to clean under the gums and in between the teeth.
Having a very soft toothbrush with tapered bristles and a flexible handle will help you learn about your mouth anatomy allowing you to brush better. "To make the most of your toothbrush you need to push the toothbrush towards the teeth and gums with a 45 degree angle," says Sebah. Allow the bristles to go from one side to the other, once you feel it has passed, twist your brush to remove the plaque.
Teeth Bonding
Teeth bonding is an alternative to veneers that involves using colour matched resin to fill in, colour correct and smooth any gaps in your smile. "As we get older the enamel wears down exposing the dentine and teeth move," says Eskander. "Dentine has a natural yellow tinge which, can make your complexion look older and crooked teeth can be very ageing. Bonding is a no down-time procedure with high impact, it takes around one hour to do.
Prices from ￡200 per tooth at drrhonaeskander.com
Teeth Alignment
"Less crowded teeth means cleaner teeth as plaque and stains do not build up as much," says Eskander. In order to get the perfect smile it may be required to have your teeth straightened before whitening. Invisalign treatment is a virtually invisible way to straighten your teeth. Using advanced 3D computer-imaging technology, Invisalign shows you your complete treatment plan and rhen a series of clear aligners are custom-made for your teeth to move them little by little.
Prices from ￡1,500 at both www.drrhonaeskander.com and www.thedentistgallery.com
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