Ok, Gals—show us your smiles! If you’re feeling less than confident about your pearly whites, have no fear—Dr. Wendy is here.
Throughout her thirty years of practicing dentistry, Dr. Wendy Shultz Spektor has amassed plenty of knowledge about what works and what doesn’t work-- for her patients. Now she’s sharing her insider tips with GalTime.
1)Don’t Bag the Brush: It’s what we all learned as kids and need to remember to do as adults. Brush your teeth twice daily and clean in between your teeth with floss or an interdental cleaner to keep your teeth and gums healthy. It’s important to use a soft brush. The electric brushes like Sonicare are even better.
2)Sticky is Icky: Stay away from sticky foods. If you need something sweet, chew gum with Xylitol as the sweetener. Xylitol is a sugar from the bark of a birch tree. It is in the human liver and safe to consume in small doses. Xylitol stops the cavity-causing bacteria from growing and prevents the formation of decay. Use in moderation.
3)Gums the Word: Go to your dentist and have a thorough check-up and cleaning. It’s a fact: we all have bacteria in our mouths. Bacteria can lead to inflammation—which is bad all the way around. Get a periodontal screening during your regular dental exam. You may need deep “below the gum”cleanings. They can help prevent or arrest gum disease.
4)Double Duty Toothpaste: Look for good toothpastes to keep your teeth clean and stain-free. My favorites include Supersmile Toothpaste, Squigle, Starbrite Whitening Toothpaste with Xylitol and Go Smile.
5)Whiten and Brighten: Using something as simple as Crest Whitening strips or other similar over-the-counter products can have great impact on your smile.
A tip-- do two applications in a row. Clean with the first application and whiten with the second application. Liquid Smile and Go Smile are products that scrub and help with whitening.
6)Take it up a Notch: Talk to your dentist for more advanced whiteners that involve custom whitening trays and/or in office procedures like Opalescence Power Boost Treatments, Zoom and Kor Deep Bleaching.
7)Talk to your Doc: Have a consultation with your dentist to reshape your teeth. Sometimes just evening up your teeth can make them look better.
8)Braces can be Beautiful: If you have already had braces or have a few rotated or crooked teeth, look into Invisalign. “Invisible braces” is another name for this minor tooth movement process. Make sure to ask for a referral from your dentist and do your homework so you get the best in orthodontic care.
9)Get Serious about your Smile: If you want to explore more advanced options to improve your smile, go for a cosmetic consultation and ask for pictures. Listen and ask good questions. Advanced smile treatments are available. Not all dentists are alike, so choose carefully.
About Dr. Wendy Spektor: Dr. Spektor is a true leader in dentistry today. A pioneer in practice promotion, she has long applied sophisticated marketing techniques to build and maintain her thriving practice. Noting the void of marketing education for dentists, she created SpektorDent Communications, a marketing consulting business, in the late 1980s.
Whether at chairside or on the lecture circuit, Dr. Spektor brings true passion and zeal for her work and for the power of marketing in dentistry today. For more information, visit the Spektor Dental website.
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