4 Tips for How to Smile with Braces

Do you have braces? If so, you may feel a little self-conscious about your teeth after starting treatment. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. While no one should ever be afraid to share their smile, we understand that it’s hard for most people to be confident with crooked teeth or orthodontic gear.

Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to make smiling with braces easier and more comfortable. In this blog post, we’ll share four tips for how to share a beautiful smile and feel confident every time. Keep reading to learn more!

Don’t Keep Your Mouth Closed While Smiling

Often, people think that wearing braces makes them look weird or childish, so they choose not to show off their smile. However, a closed grin makes your lips pursed, creating forced or uncomfortable facial expressions. The key to looking confident is to relax your face and smile with your lips open. Sincere smiles involve crinkling up your eyes to show happiness, as well. (Check out the Duchenne smile for why this makes more attractive smiles!)

Practice Your Grin

Worried about showing off your teeth for photos or to your friend? It can take some time to get used to the idea of your new braces, and it’s natural to feel a bit awkward at first. But there’s no need to worry – with a little bit of practice, you’ll be smiling confidently in no time.

Start your day by practicing in the mirror. Focus on good posture and try to relax. Testing out your natural smile will help you feel more confident, letting you share a better smile in photographs, with friends, and on the street.

Give Your Smile a Workout

Wearing braces can be tough. But there’s one thing you can do to make your orthodontic journey a little easier: exercise your facial muscles! That’s right, by stretching and working out the muscles in your face, you can develop better control over how your cheeks and mouth move. And that means a nicer, natural-looking smile – even with braces!

So how do you do it? First, stretch your mouth wide with your lips closed until you feel some muscle strain. Hold that position until you feel your cheek muscles begin to feel fatigued. Then stop and rest for a few seconds before repeating the process.

Just like any other type of exercise, it’ll take some time and practice to see results. But soon enough, you’ll get rid of those negative thoughts about your grin – braces or no braces!

Brush Your Teeth!

Brushing your teeth is the key to getting rid of bad breath, fighting gum disease, and eliminating cavities and tooth decay. However, with braces, it is also important for improving your appearance during treatment. Your dentist and your orthodontist will tell you how important oral health is for a beautiful smile!

Make sure you carry your toothbrush with you all the time. Brush your teeth after eating and before you step in front of a camera. A happy, healthy grin will do wonders for your teeth, gums, and pictures! And don’t forget – getting food stuck in your braces is never what you want people to focus on in a picture.

Love Your Smile with Pura Vida

Worried about misaligned teeth or jaw position? Discover the path to a great smile with Pura Vida Orthodontics in Blaine, MN, and Spring Lake Park, MN. Our team is helping patients achieve the picture-perfect look that they’ve always dreamed of by correcting teeth with kind, compassionate orthodontic care. Come visit our office for a free consultation and learn what we can do for you!