BEAUTY

'urn On Your Smile

Have your teeth lost their luster? Get picture-perfect

w ith the newest do-it-yourself tools.

by MELISSA MILRAD GOLDSTEIN photos KATHRYN GAMBLE styling MARCUS HAY hair & makeup SOPHIE KASPAR

-:X.

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A bright, frien dly smile is not only

contagious, it lights up yo u r face in

a w a y that nothing else can.

G etting a stellar smile is simple

w ith easy, at-hom e fixes that make

it affordable to put yo u r m oney

w here yo u r m outh is.

FIRST UP: WHITEN

U n til recently the quickest path

to tooth bleaching was the

dentist-supervised, in-office

treatment. B ut that’s not the

case any longer. W h iten in g

systems— those strips, gels

and trays you can find at the

drugstore— no w deliver

comparable results w ith in days,

or even an hour.

NEXT: MAINTENANCE

Upgrade from yo u r basic brushing

routine to polishing products that

offer total m outh care (including

strengthening tooth enamel) plus

gentle scrubbing agents to reduce

the effects that foods such as

coffee, red w ine, colas, fruit juices,

spaghetti and soy sauces, beets,

and berries, have on teeth.

FINAL STEP: ACCENTUATE

N o w you’ll w ant to amp up the

wattage w ith lipsticks that

highlight and showcase yo u r

gorgeous new grin. N o w isn’t that

som ething to smile about?

W hen asked to rank the m ost attractive part of someone’s

appearance, a study by medical device company Nobel Biocare

found that

8 9

% of Americans rated a great smile No. r.

1

l

6

JULY 2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS

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