Below are some excellent SMILE STYLE TIPS and PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS that will help you achieve the ULTIMATE SMILE in your photographs and in your life every day.
In addition to the detailed information and QUICK TIPS listed below, please review and enjoy the links for Dr. Keen's interview and article with AOL in THE HUFFINGTON POST:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/14/wedding-teeth-dr-david-ke_n_1277212.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/dr-david-keen
DR. KEEN'S QUICK TIPS FOR A BEAUTIFUL SMILE:
- White, Bright and Nothing Dark in SIGHT!
- Color is the most important, and it may be the easiest and quickest to achieve!
- Color may even be considered more important than position. For instance: crooked WHITE teeth are much more attractive than perfectly straight teeth that are YELLOW!
- A natural white color with some translucency is always desired. Try using whitening strips as a cost-effective and safe method to achieve whiter teeth.
- DO NOT OVERBLEACH YOUR TEETH! Teeth that are too white and opaque appear fake and unnatural. Also, teeth that are TOO WHITE will OVERPOWER other facial features. This is not ideal.
- Whitening your teeth too much can also lead to tooth sensitivity.
- As a general rule to achieve a natural youthful appearance, the teeth should be similar or slightly whiter than the whites of the eyes.
- Develop a uniform color for your teeth! A single DARK TOOTH or an OLD DARK "CROWN" can be very distracting to the eye. Old crowns can be easily replaced with new technology all-porcelain crowns.
- A gum-line that is pink in color and without any DARK LINES is important for any smile makeover!
- The Shape and Position of the teeth is also important to consider. The shape of the teeth may correlate well to the shape of the face or your facial features.
- The Size of your teeth is extremely important. The size and length of your teeth should also be in proportion to the size of your face and size of your lip line. As a general rule, the edges of your upper teeth should almost touch your lower lip when you smile.
- The proportion of the teeth is very important, meaning, all of your front teeth should NOT be the same length and width. Each tooth should have its own personality and edge shape. Differences in length amongst teeth is appealing and natural!
- As a general rule, teeth should be more visible in the front, and the teeth should become less visible as they progress towards the back of the mouth.
- The teeth should never appear connected. Each tooth should appear separate from the adjacent teeth.
- Always practice a good oral hygiene routine in your home, with consistent brushing and flossing. Your teeth will stay whiter!
- Health of the Gum Tissues relates to shape of the gums and color. Bottom Line: Red Puffy Gums is NEVER in style!
- Strong & pink gum tissues are an indication of health and are aesthetically optimal.
- Good periodontal health is also directly correlated to your cardiovacular health!
WHAT IS A SMILE?
A smile is a facial expression that is generated by the contraction of the muscles of facial expression. A smile is associated with happiness, and therefore, it is appropriate to insure that our smile does us justice. Despite the technology that is available to alter photos, why not strive to GET IT RIGHT in our photographs the first time naturally!
Many muscles are responsible for generating a smile. The muscles span from the area around the lips, the cheeks, the jaw, the areas around the eyes and nose, up to and including the forehead. It is helpful to evaluate your smile and determine which muscles you specifically use most when you smile. Although it may seem odd, many people do not feel comfortable smiling. Many people are not proud of their smile, and wish their teeth were more attractive in appearance. As a result, some people do not smile in photographs, or smile with their mouth closed to hide their teeth. Others simply do not know how to generate the most natural and complimentary looking smile and need a little instruction and practice. Some tips below will help you develop the best smile ever!
SMILE SCULPTING TO OPTIMIZE YOUR SMILE STYLE:
The shape of your teeth is very important. Flat edges can sometimes project an older appearance, whereas, strong rounded edges project youth. SMILE SCULPTING is a technique that I use to optimize the youthful appearance of the smile. Aesthetically recontouring the edges of teeth to improve the "edge appeal" and to enhance the proportion of the teeth is often very effective. For instance, shortening teeth that are too long, or "artistically rounding or sharpening" teeth that are TOO FLAT is a safe and effective way to reinstate beauty and enhance a smile.
It is important to understand the general shape of a smile. Since childhood, most people associate the shape of a smile to be similar to the shape of the "mouth in a happy-face picture", as in the "happy face" emoticon. 
This facial expression is the universal symbol for happiness in all countries worldwide. As we can see from the emoticon, the smile is a line that extends from the midline of the face and curves upward towards each cheek. In real life, the smile line should do the same, whereby, the lips and the edges of the teeth should follow in accordance with the smile line curve. Teeth that are too long or too short should ideally be safely shortened or lengthened respectively, so that the edges of the teeth fall along the smile line.
In many respects, the ideal length of each tooth is dictated by the lips and relates to optimal aesthetics, phonetics and function. In my practice, I work very closely with patients to establish the ideal length for the teeth, so the smile appears natural and beautiful. Any teeth that deviate from the ideal length and shape can be sculpted and safely recontoured to fit more ideally within the context of being "picture perfect".
FRAME YOUR SMILE RIGHT:
Just as the HAIR may aesthetically frame the FACE, the LIPS certainly frame the SMILE! When you strike a pose and smile, try to show all of your upper teeth, and less of your lower teeth. Also, try to avoid showing too much "gum tissue" when you smile. As a general rule during a smile, the upper lip should rise to the gum-line of the upper teeth. The lower lip should remain relaxed and almost touch the edges of the upper teeth. If you practice this, your upper teeth will be framed perfectly by your lips.
DON'T SMILE TOO BIG:
A smile is the result of contracting the muscles of facial expression. For some, smiling too largely can detract from a natural facial appearance in a photograph. An overly large smile can appear contrived and reduce the height of the face. Therefore, it is often helpful to determine the amount of smile and muscle contraction that is most complimentary to your facial structure.
AVOID CLENCHING WHEN SMILING:
Don't smile with your upper and lower teeth touching together. This will reduce the dimension of your face, and your muscles will appear tight and compressed. Consider smiling with a slightly open posture to relax your facial expression and improve your smile appeal.
AVOID USING YOUR NECK MUSCLES WHEN YOU SMILE:
The ideal smile occurs when the corners of the lips raise upward towards the cheeks. Contracting the neck muscles when you smile is not a good idea, since this can pull the corners of your mouth downwards, which is opposite to what is ideal.
SMILE EVENLY ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT SIDES OF YOUR FACE:
Symmetry is a secret key to success for a picture-perfect smile. A "one-sided grin" is traditionally not as visually pleasing to the eye, and is not considered a true smile.
Just as symmetry relates to the facial features on the right and left, such as the lips and cheeks on each side of the facial midline, the teeth on the right and the left should also be relatively symmetrical for a winning smile.
Significant differences in the shapes, sizes and colors of teeth on the right and left is not traditionally appealing!
USE YOUR TEETH TO YOUR ADVANTAGE:
Showing white teeth in a photograph is always a winning asset. A fresh, natural white smile "pops" in any photograph and makes you look great! Conversely, teeth that are too white or opaque may overpower other facial features, and be the focus of attention. This may appear unnatural.
ENJOY THE OPPORTUNITY TO SMILE AND RELAX:
A natural facial expression always projects well in photos. A strained face can look unnatural in photographs and will be memorable for all the wrong reasons.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT:
Take digital photos of yourself with your family and friends to practice your smile. This will help you achieve the most natural and complimentary facial shot.
QUICK AND EASY TIPS TO ENHANCE YOUR SMILE STYLE:
- A winning smile is White, Bright and has Nothing Dark in SIGHT!
- Schedule a quick aesthetic consultation with a dental specialist to understand which smile enhancement options are available to you.
- KEEP IT SIMPLE! Don't concern yourself with fixing everything in your mouth. It is important to understand that photos predominantly capture COLOR! Therefore, having teeth that are WHITE and CLEAN is far more important than having teeth that are perfectly straight. Accordingly, to achieve the biggest bank for your buck, invest a small amount of money into cleaning your teeth professionally, an electric toothbrush, good oral hygiene regimen at home, and a cost-effective whitening regimen that is easy and convenient! The easier things are, the more likely we will do it!
- Brush at least twice daily (each time for 2 minutes), and Floss nightly.
- Try an electric toothbrush to give you that added fresh feeling, to help remove stains on your teeth, and to prevent stains from building-up on your teeth.
- Consider trying a technique that I refer to as "DRY BRUSHING". This technique will help you remove more plaque and stains from your teeth and it's very easy to do. Brush gently for about 30 seconds with a slightly moist toothbrush before brushing with toothpaste, and you will see how your teeth and gums may become cleaner.
- Don't brush too aggressively! Remember, foods we eat are soft, and the gum tissues in the mouth are delicate like skin. Therefore, BE CONSISTENT with your brushing, NOT CARELESS!
- Consider filling obvious 'dark spaces' between teeth or 'dark spaces' at the gum-line with white "dental bonding material". Spaces at the gum-line and recession can make your teeth appear unclean and older.
- Develop a uniform color for your teeth! Consider removing any dark or discolored fillings that may detract from the appearance of your smile and that draw attention to the so-called "problem areas". The removal of old dark fillings will provide your smile with a uniform white color, with no "eye distractions".
- Repairing chipped teeth and broken edges can be very easy to do, often WITH NO DRILLING, and make a very large improvement to your smile.
- Aesthetic recontouring can also be accomplished very quickly and safely. Consider "softening" the appearance of some sharp, flat or chipped edges to restore the YOUTH in your smile within just minutes!
- Ultrasonic cleaning and polishing in the dental office is an excellent way to whiten your teeth multiple shades, remove dark stains between your teeth, and make your smile appear and feel younger and healthier!
- Eating 'fibrous foods' such as apples, carrots and broccoli is an excellent source of nutrition, low in calories and exfoliates your teeth to remove stains naturally.
- Stay Hydrated: Drink water! Water is good for your teeth, since it is neutral in pH, and helps to dilute acids and sugars in the mouth that are in foods we eat and beverages we drink. Also, water helps to remove acids produced by bacteria.
- Moisturize your lips so they are not chapped, and they appear soft and glamorous at all times!
- For women, wearing a lipstick that compliments your facial complexion and contrasts well against your teeth will make your teeth appear whiter!
- PREPARING IN ADVANCE: Bleach with a whitening strip, such as "SHEER WHITE" or a custom bleaching tray many weeks or months in advance of a special event is a good idea. Preparing in advance is always a winning step to the picture- perfect smile in a photo.
- When bleaching, AVOID red wines, dark tea, coffes and dark sodas for a few days prior to your wedding, special event or photo-op. Besides, too much caffeine is not good for your health.
- Bleach materials are often sticky, therefore, DO NOT drink 'dark-colored' beverages or eat ' foods with dark sauces' for 24 hours after you bleach. If you do, you will most certainly "wear the stain" on your teeth.
FOLLOWING MY EASY AND USEFUL TIPS ABOVE WILL HELP YOU ACHIEVE THE BEST SMILE EVER! IF YOU SHOULD HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR SMILE, YOUR TEETH OR QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR DENTAL HEALTH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME. I WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TAKE THE TIME TO ANSWER ANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
Best regards,
DR. KEEN
