It wasn’t the extravagant wedding dress or the crown of jewels that had everyone fawning over Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, on her royal wedding day to Prince Harry. Beauty bloggers and lifestyle media coverage praised her casual complexion and her natural smile, because it isn’t blindingly white or stencil straight. “Everyone is talking about Meghan Markle’s smile,” says Dr. Emma Laing. “…it’s all about natural looking teeth that are in golden proportion.”
Many people praise the iconic golden ratio as the secret to an attractive smile. Here’s how it works: if you drew an invisible line down the middle of your front teeth, the ideal width ratio would be 1.6 (central incisor) to 1 (lateral incisor) to 0.6 (canine). Maybe this sounds a little too mathematical, but it’s one recipe for a perfectly proportioned smile. A golden smile is even more achievable thanks to advanced dental technology and three easy cosmetic dental tweaks.
A Balance of Gums and Teeth
There’s more to an attractive smile than just the ratio between teeth. You need an attractive ratio between teeth and gums, too.
A smile achieves this when the top lip sits just above the tooth line. A gummy mouth overwhelms a smile and prevents it from reaching a balanced display of gums and teeth. A gummy smile can be caused by a number of reasons such as an irregular shape of jaw, teeth that are worn down or a high smile line. BOTOX ® is an easy, fast solution to reducing a high smile line. The injection helps the upper lip relax around the teeth so they don’t pull up as much. If your teeth are genetically shorter or worn down, they can be lengthened with porcelain veneers or dental crowns.
We can also recontour your gums or if short teeth are the problem, we can build them up with veneers.
Symmetry, Not Straight
The space between your two front teeth should be in line with the middle of your face. In other words, the midline of your smile should be symmetrical to the rest of your face because the beauty is strongly based on symmetry. Orthodontics like Invisalign are a convenient, often 6-month solution, to correcting asymmetry in your smile. Invisalign are clear, plastic aligners that are removable, customized to your smile goals, and require less follow up visits than metal braces.
Teeth That Match the White of Your Eyes
Rather than teeth that sparkle and dazzle, teeth that are a natural white color, preferably that match the whites of your eyes, offer the most appealing, balanced shade. That’s because balance is beauty, and if your teeth are brighter than your eyes, your facial symmetry is thrown off. To improve your smile’s natural, enameled glow, in-office whitening methods like Boost Tooth Whitening are stronger and more effective than at-home kits. They’re also the better solution for patients who need a faster result for teeth that are heavily stained and are sensitive to whitening treatments.
A Fairy-Tale Smile
You may not be royalty, but your smile can be royal. These three simple cosmetic dentistry tweaks can help you achieve a naturally youthful, healthier, more aesthetically pleasing smile. Schedule a smile makeover consultation with a cosmetic dentist who can help you achieve all three at the practice of Dr. Marzban, located in the Burke, Virginia area—call 703) 323-8200.
