A wedding is easily the most important day of anyone’s life, and most (if not all) brides want to look perfect for their special day. Part of looking perfect, especially in wedding photos, is having the perfect smile. With hair, makeup, and your wedding dress being perfect, an imperfect smile can be a downer when it comes to looking back on the wedding photos. Fortunately, there are ways to correct an imperfect smile that don’t require you to spend thousands of dollars, and it’s definitely an investment in your wedding you won’t regret spending money on!

Teeth Whitening

At Home

Teeth whitening is probably the simplest way to improve your smile before your wedding day. White teeth are sure to compliment every makeup trend and have your smile picture-ready. There are several OTC (over-the-counter) teeth whitening products that can be as low as US$3.00 or as high as US$50.00, depending on which type of product you choose. These products can be toothpaste, gels, creams, strips, or inserted devices that whiten your teeth.

Some people even try home remedies to whiten their teeth. The most common remedy includes brushing with baking soda, but you may also see success with hydrogen peroxide, apple cider vinegar, and activated charcoal. Another method is oil pulling, in which you swish oil (usually coconut, sesame seed, or sunflower) around in your mouth to remove any bad bacteria.

Professional Whitening

You can also choose to have your teeth professionally whitened by a dentist. This is a little more pricey (US$500.00), but people usually choose this option when traditional whitening methods have yielded no results. A dentist will likely scrape your teeth of any plaque, tartar, and other buildups before whitening your teeth with a bleach solution.

Composite Bonding

If you have any damaged teeth that may be cracked, chipped, or even decaying, then you may want to consider a composite bonding treatment. This requires a dentist, and he or she will sculpt the problem tooth or teeth and add a resin filling to create a healthy-looking tooth that looks natural and blends in with the rest of your teeth. The only thing with composite bonding is that the resin created to repair the damaged tooth is colored to match your teeth. So if you want a whiter look to your damaged tooth, you should have all of your teeth whitened before the bonding procedure so that your reconstructed tooth can be a whiter shade as well. Keep in mind that there are some disadvantages to composite bonding and that it can cost anywhere from US$100.00 to US$400.00, per tooth.

Temporary Veneers

Temporary veneers are veneers that pop on your teeth, and you can remove them at any time. With temporary veneers, you hardly ever need to see a dentist to have them installed, or pay thousands of dollars for them. Veneers are custom-made ceramic or porcelain overlays that are permanently bonded to your natural teeth, and they can easily cost up to US$1,000.00 per tooth. On the other hand, not only do temporary veneers save you from having a possibly painful procedure done in your mouth, they are also considerably less expensive than traditional veneers.

Temporary veneers are also a good option for your wedding day because they cover up a variety of dental issues: discolored teeth, crooked teeth, gapped teeth, chipped/cracked/damaged teeth, and even missing teeth. They are also comfortable to wear and eat with, and they look as natural as regular teeth.

These are the quickest and most affordable dental procedures to consider before your wedding day. Of course, there are several other cosmetic dental procedures that can be done, but most of them are considerably more expensive and time-consuming. Of course, it’s always best to choose the procedure that works best for you according to what you need to be done and what your dentist suggests.