A person’s smile can have a major impact on how they are perceived by others.

According to one report, over two thirds (68%) of Americans believe that people who smile are more trustworthy, confident, and approachable.

If you don’t smile often or you don’t like your smile, here are some ways you can start improving it today:

1. Brush your teeth

Brushing your teeth can do wonders for your smile. Not only will it keep your teeth clean and help give them that white glow, but it will help them last longer into your old age.

For best results, you should brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes. That’s the official recommendation by the American Dental Association (ADA). For most people, brushing once in the morning and once in the evening works best.

If you eat a lot of acidic or sugary foods for breakfast, try brushing before you eat or wait to brush until 30 minutes after you’ve eaten. Otherwise, you risk removing enamel that’s been softened through your food and doing more harm than good.

Also, it’s important to replace your toothbrush about every three months (or whenever it starts looking old or frayed). That way, you’re not brushing with a dirty toothbrush.

And don’t forget to brush your tongue. It will give you better breath. To make this easier, consider getting a special tongue scraper to do the job.

2. Floss

Flossing can help improve your smile by removing excess food that gets stuck in between your teeth. The smallest bit can stand out and distract from your smile.

But it’s not just food debris. Flossing also helps prevent plaque from forming on your enamel in the first place to keep your teeth looking healthy for the long term.

If you don’t enjoy flossing, consider using a toothpick flosser. It lets you floss with your mouth closed and with one hand so you don’t need to sling your saliva all over the place with traditional floss string.

3. Whiten your teeth

These days, there are a lot of teeth whitening products out there: whitening strips, whitening trays, and special toothpastes.

Most are cosmetic treatments only, so you can apply them on your own. However, it may be a good idea to consult your dentist to see which one is best for you.

Your teeth naturally begin to turn yellow with age (and bad habits like smoking). So teeth whiteners can be an easy, efficient, and painless way to slow down this process and keep your smile sparkling.

4. Get your teeth professionally cleaned

It’s commonly said that you should get a dental checkup twice per year. Even if your teeth are in great shape, this is a good idea because it gives you the chance to get your teeth professionally cleaned.

A dental hygienist will use a water flosser and other professional teeth cleaning tools to make your teeth squeaky clean again. And if there are any potential issues like cavities or gum disease, your dentist will be able to help you know what to do to avoid them.

5. Replace missing teeth with dental implants

If you already have some missing teeth, all hope is not lost. You can still have a great smile by filling in the gaps where your teeth are missing.

Dental implants do just that. They connect to your jawbone with the help of medical-grade titanium and provide natural-looking artificial teeth where your missing teeth once were. After a few months, you’ll hardly be able to tell the difference between them and your other teeth (and other people definitely won’t).

If you live in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, check out dental implants Ft. Lauderdale. Dental implants can last a lifetime and can help to permanently restore your beautiful smile.

6. Consider dental bonding or contouring

If you have part of a tooth that’s missing (e.g. a chipped or cracked tooth), you might consider dental bonding. This is a practice that involves adding synthetic materials like resin to fill in imperfections and enhance your overall smile.

Dental contouring is similar. Like dental bonding, it’s a cosmetic tooth treatment. But instead of adding material, it involves removing small amounts of enamel to give the tooth a better shape. This is good for when your teeth have small imperfections that you want to fix. It can dramatically improve your smile by giving your teeth a polished and natural-looking shine.

7. Get dental veneers

Dental veneers are thin coverings (or shells) made of resin or porcelain that are custom made to fit over the front (visible) part of your teeth.

They can cover up tooth imperfections, brighten your smile, and even serve as a protective barrier. When other teeth whitening options don’t work, dental veneers are an ideal solution.

8. Get braces

It’s never too late to get braces. Even if your parents didn’t have you get braces when you were young, you can still get them now.

Braces are one of the only ways to straighten crooked teeth. And these days, there are many types of braces. You can get the traditional wire kind or you can get clear plastic brackets (invisible braces) so they are less noticeable. In some cases, you may need to wear a retainer after getting your braces off to help keep your teeth straight.

If you don’t want your smile to include crooked teeth, braces are the way to go.

9. Moisturize your lips

Though often overlooked, moisturizing your lips helps improve your smile by preventing your lips from drying out or chapping.

Use chapstick to keep your lips hydrated. In addition, you may want to use lipstick or lipgloss so that your smile stands out more.

 10. Drink more water

Lastly, drink lots of water. This can help wash away harmful bacteria that collects in your mouth, and it’s good for your overall health, too. If you don’t get enough water, your teeth and your smile will eventually suffer.

So make a habit of drinking the recommended 15.5 cups of water per day for men or 11.5 cups of water per day for women.

Final thoughts 

As you can see, there are many ways to improve your smile. You don’t have to do all of them, but choose a few that will generate the most benefits for you personally. Over time, you’ll begin to notice your confidence and overall happiness improve.