Whether you’re smiling at yourself in the mirror or cracking up with your best friend, your smile has the ability to affect your mood and your self-esteem. There are many things your dentist can do to help address issues like crooked or chipped teeth if they’re making you self-conscious, and there are plenty of ways you can begin to improve your confidence on your own.

Here are some simple habit shifts you can make to enhance your smile and boost your confidence.

Practice Self Care

Now, you’re probably more likely to think of a quiet getaway or a luxurious bath bomb not brushing and flossing when someone mentions self-care. But daily oral hygiene can be more than a chore. Replace your tired old toothbrush with something high-quality (you deserve it or choose a mouthwash in a fun flavor. Do little things to remind you that you’re caring for your smile and yourself not just going through the motions because your dentist said so.

Sip Some Water

The last thing you need to be worrying about at a social event is whether or not your drink is discoloring your teeth. Talk about a confidence-ruiner! While it’s important to be mindful of teeth-staining over time, you can avoid embarrassing teeth-tinting while drinking wine or coffee by taking frequent sips of sparkling or still water. This can help discoloration from building up at the moment and keep you a hydrated, bonus.

Improve Your Breath

Speaking of drinking water, it’s also a great way to combat bad breath. Improving your smile confidence definitely needs to include ensuring good breath, so in addition to those great daily brushing and flossing habits, consider using a tongue scraper, too. It might seem weird if you’ve never used one before, but it works! You can also explore other causes and solutions for overcoming bad breath to feel good about your smile.

Relax

If you want to smile confidently in photos, the best trick is to relax. Feeling nervous? You might notice that your forehead is scrunched, your brow furrowed, your jaw tense. Try combining those with a smile, you probably won’t feel very confident about the result. Instead, take a moment, and close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and slowly relax your muscles. Think about something happy or funny. If you can, get yourself to laugh right before or during a photo for the most authentic smile.

When it comes to enhancing confidence in your own smile, it’s about taking care of yourself, setting up good dental hygiene habits, being mindful and remembering to relax. With these simple habit changes, you’ll be ready to take on the world and let your confident smile shine!

Source: colgate.com