What is a white smile? A white smile is a wide smile that shows one’s white teeth. It is similar to the one found on Hollywood celebrities.
A straight and white smile is becoming more sought after than ever before. This mindset began with the ‘Hollywood smile’ when we first started to develop an interest in imitating the results of celebrity cosmetics. For many at the time, the riches of these stars, along with the price of cosmetic dentistry, put such procedures out of reach. But much has changed.
Today, the price of cosmetic dentistry, like tooth whitening and adult orthodontics have become far more affordable and accessible. It means today’s Hollywood smile is now the ‘Love Island smile’. As a reality show, this creates an image that cosmetic dentistry is obtainable and as ‘normal’ as visiting the hairdresser or barber.
Many of us are taking an interest in our smile and searching for ways to improve it. This is an extremely positive attitude. However, while changing the appearance of our teeth sits high on many people’s wish list, it is important to remember the most important thing – the health of our smile.
The benefits of having a white healthy smile are not just the appearance but a whiter healthy smile will also help boost your career prospects during presentations too and so on. So why not have an edge over others and stay distinguished?
How To Get Healthy White Teeth
The Canadian Dental Association (CDA), highlights that dentists have long performed “non-vital” bleaching for many years. The “non-vital” bleaching is a procedure used to lighten a darkened, damaged non-living tooth, on which a root canal has been performed.
In recent times, the procedure has changed and people are moving to “vital” bleaching. Vital Bleaching is a procedure used to improve the appearance of healthy teeth. According to a 2011 survey, 57 percent of dentists expected the number of patients seeking teeth whitening to increase. The main reason for this growth is the increased availability of quality whitening systems of varying strength and cost, which makes teeth whitening as easy as a walk in the park.
White Smile Research
A 2019 research showed the following:
- Canada ranks above the United States in this area of its healthcare provisions.
- Some studies and reports showcase its population’s teeth as some of the whitest and straightest in the world.
- Globally, the teeth whitening market is expected to grow by a compound annual growth rate of over 4% (Arizton, 2019)
- About 9% have had it in the last year alone.
- In the past year, most Canadians have seen a dental professional (74.7%), however, 22.4% avoided going at least once because of the cost.
Striking a Balance between a healthy smile and a white smile
It is good to have a white smile. But then, does a white smile equate to a healthy smile?
A white smile can indeed be directly linked to increased self-esteem but if done wrong, it can lead to medical conditions such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and even dementia.
Having a white smile is great, but it should be done with the right expert – a dentist
Ensuring Good Oral Health
One popular question almost every dentist gets to answer is, how do you get and maintain a healthy white smile? Simple, just follow the steps below.
- Brush at least twice a day for a minimum of two minutes with fluoride toothpaste. The best practice is that it should be the last thing at night and any other time of the day.
- Use interdental brush or floss to clean the teeth daily.
- Daily use of mouthwash.
- Stick to sugar-free gums and chew them in between meals.
- Reduce the quantity of sugar you consume. Also, reduce the consistency of consuming sugar.
- Regular visits to the dentist.
If you have any questions or would like to book an appointment, please contact us today.
