Bright Smile

What is the first thing you notice on a person?  Me?  I look at a person's smile.  Not only does a nice smile make a person look better, but white teeth makes you look younger too.  Dr. Laura Torrado, a New York City dentist, gave me the following tips to make my teeth look whiter...without spending a dime! 

Make your own whitening toothpaste!:

A tablespoon of baking soda, a pinch of salt, and enough peroxide to make it into a paste. You want to brush this mixture for about two minutes. The longer the peroxide is on your teeth, the whiter your teeth will get! You should be able to see results immediately.

Lipsticks and Gloss:

First, you should choose a dark color lip shade with a blue undertone. Rose, reds, burgundy, and plum shades work well. Be careful when choosing a shade. An orange or a color with an orange undertone can make your teeth appear dull and yellow.  It is the shades with the bluest hues that really bring out the whites of your teeth. Look at a shade and try to determine if it is more purple or more orange. If it is more purple, it is a blue based color and will make teeth appear whiter. The best you can do is to find a red shade with a blue base.  A good raspberry color gloss also works well. It has the 'blue' undertones to it and is very complimentary to all skin tones and makes the teeth look whiter. Avoid the orange-y lip tones. Peach is pretty but sometimes it washes out the complexion and makes teeth appear less white.  A deep red, with no purple tint (very hard to find!) makes teeth look very white.

Also, snack on foods like apples and celery. These foods can help remove or eliminate plaque.

Finally, rinse your mouth with water after drinking dark colored sodas, red wine, coffee or tea.  This will eliminate the stain that comes from these products.  (ever leave a coffee cup in the sink for a day...you know that brown ring that stains the cup...but if you rinse it right away...no stain...same effect.)