They say that a perfect smile can launch a thousand ships and since ages, women have always been on a quest for that perfect smile which can even out-dazzle the sparkle of a diamond. That’s possibly why ladies like Madhuri Dixit, Katrina Kaif, Maria Sharapova, Jessica Alba and the likes have often been crowned with titles of the ‘best smile’. The quest to acquire that million dollar smile often translates into endless sessions at the dentist’s, wearing painful braces and the likes.
However, now it looks like getting a dazzling smile is as easy as snapping your fingers! Snap-on smiles are the latest rage with women all over the world now and this combines cosmetic convenience with the aesthetics of orthodenistry.
Explaining this concept Dr Sunita Jalan, an aesthetic orthodontist, says, “Snap-on smiles are like a casing, like a brace that cover your teeth. The smiles can be customised according to the person’s requirement and we get a lot of people asking us to make them smile like Madhuri Dixit or Priyanka Chopra.”
According to dental experts, these snap-on smiles are more cosmetic in purpose.
“They are not like braces that will give your teeth a more structured look. All they do is make your smile more dazzling, it is an accessory like an earring. Often these smiles are made using plastic as this is safer and doesn’t cause any allergic reactions,” says Dr Nayana Tripathi, an orthodontist, while adding that this is popular with men too, who want smiles like John Abraham.
At the same time there are some precautions to be kept in mind. “Since these smiles are like an extra covering for the teeth, it reduces the strength of your teeth – in the sense one can’t bite or chew that hard. So it is best one sticks to liquids or soft food when they have these on,” says Dr Sunita. Maintenance and hygiene is another important factor.
“If the snap-on smiles are not cleaned regularly it may lead to infections. Sometimes even wearing them for too long leads to growth of bacteria. The best thing is to soak them in warm water an hour before using and once a week, just brush them like you would brush your teeth,” adds Dr Nayana.