How to Smile when You Think You Have Bad Teeth
Figure out how wide to open your mouth., Think about what your eyes are doing., Distract the eye with other aspects of your appearance., Find your best angle., Practice your smile.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Figure out how wide to open your mouth.
There are all types of smiles
- wide, toothy grins that show all of your teeth, more subtle smiles that put just the top row of teeth on display, mostly closed-mouth smiles that reveal just a glimmer of white, and completely closed smiles that show no teeth at all.
By choosing how wide to open your mouth, you can control how the world sees your teeth.
Practice different degrees of openness to see which smile looks best on you.
It's your smile, and there are no rules about how it should look! That said, try to get comfortable revealing at least a glimpse of your teeth when you smile, because it's very hard to keep your mouth closed when you smile out of happiness.
Aim to smile in a way that helps you look your best while also creating a natural-looking expression of cheer.
Keep in mind that a smile is often the first impression we have of other people.
Think about meeting someone for the first time: what would impression would you get if they seemed to be making an effort to keep their mouth closed instead of breaking into a full smile? It's better to reveal some teeth and have your smile look natural than to close your mouth and look as though you are hiding something.
Projecting confidence is more important than projecting perfection, so open up! -
Step 2: Think about what your eyes are doing.
Perhaps you've heard of smizing
- the act of smiling with your eyes, not just your mouth.
Engaging your eyes as part of your smile automatically helps it read as more authentic and pleasant.
For those who are worried about how their teeth look, smiling with the eyes can draw attention to the top of the face and away from the mouth.
Smiling with your eyes
- also called a Duchenne smile
- enables you to have a bright, happy smile without needing to open your mouth wide.
Try it in the mirror.
First, smile without using your eyes.
Do you see the jack-o-lantern effect? The smile doesn't look happy, it looks . . . a little scary and fake.
Now try smiling with your whole face, especially your eyes.
This type of smile looks like a true expression of happiness.
Practice squinting your eyes a bit more when you smile, to engage the top of your face.
See how it balances out your mouth and enables you to close your mouth more and still achieve a happy smile.
A Duchenne smile is very difficult to fake.
It happens naturally when you truly have a reason to smile.
The best way to create one when you're with other people is to actually feel happy! , Another way to draw attention away from your mouth is to create other points of interest on your face and body.
Your hair, accessories, and clothes can all be used to draw the eye to some of your best features.
Try doing something different with your hair, like curling it or getting an interesting new cut.
Wear pretty earrings, a hat or another attention-grabbing accessory.
Wear sharp clothing that reflects your unique style.
People won't be thinking about your teeth if you're rocking an amazing dress or leather coat. , When you're posing for pictures, it can help to know which angle makes your face look its best.
Angling your face instead of looking at the camera head-on creates depth and helps bring out the contours of your smile in a more flattering way.
Look in the mirror or take a few selfies and figure out what pose looks the most like you.
When it comes time to pose for a picture, try to turn so that your best side faces the camera.
However, don't contort yourself trying to get in a certain position
- that will defeat the purpose! , Like anything else in life, smiling comes more easily with a lot of practice.
Try smiling in the mirror in the morning before you leave to go about your day.
Practice smiling with your mouth open just so, and remember to engage your eyes.
The more you do it, the more natural it will feel to smile at people or for pictures. -
Step 3: Distract the eye with other aspects of your appearance.
-
Step 4: Find your best angle.
-
Step 5: Practice your smile.
Detailed Guide
There are all types of smiles
- wide, toothy grins that show all of your teeth, more subtle smiles that put just the top row of teeth on display, mostly closed-mouth smiles that reveal just a glimmer of white, and completely closed smiles that show no teeth at all.
By choosing how wide to open your mouth, you can control how the world sees your teeth.
Practice different degrees of openness to see which smile looks best on you.
It's your smile, and there are no rules about how it should look! That said, try to get comfortable revealing at least a glimpse of your teeth when you smile, because it's very hard to keep your mouth closed when you smile out of happiness.
Aim to smile in a way that helps you look your best while also creating a natural-looking expression of cheer.
Keep in mind that a smile is often the first impression we have of other people.
Think about meeting someone for the first time: what would impression would you get if they seemed to be making an effort to keep their mouth closed instead of breaking into a full smile? It's better to reveal some teeth and have your smile look natural than to close your mouth and look as though you are hiding something.
Projecting confidence is more important than projecting perfection, so open up!
Perhaps you've heard of smizing
- the act of smiling with your eyes, not just your mouth.
Engaging your eyes as part of your smile automatically helps it read as more authentic and pleasant.
For those who are worried about how their teeth look, smiling with the eyes can draw attention to the top of the face and away from the mouth.
Smiling with your eyes
- also called a Duchenne smile
- enables you to have a bright, happy smile without needing to open your mouth wide.
Try it in the mirror.
First, smile without using your eyes.
Do you see the jack-o-lantern effect? The smile doesn't look happy, it looks . . . a little scary and fake.
Now try smiling with your whole face, especially your eyes.
This type of smile looks like a true expression of happiness.
Practice squinting your eyes a bit more when you smile, to engage the top of your face.
See how it balances out your mouth and enables you to close your mouth more and still achieve a happy smile.
A Duchenne smile is very difficult to fake.
It happens naturally when you truly have a reason to smile.
The best way to create one when you're with other people is to actually feel happy! , Another way to draw attention away from your mouth is to create other points of interest on your face and body.
Your hair, accessories, and clothes can all be used to draw the eye to some of your best features.
Try doing something different with your hair, like curling it or getting an interesting new cut.
Wear pretty earrings, a hat or another attention-grabbing accessory.
Wear sharp clothing that reflects your unique style.
People won't be thinking about your teeth if you're rocking an amazing dress or leather coat. , When you're posing for pictures, it can help to know which angle makes your face look its best.
Angling your face instead of looking at the camera head-on creates depth and helps bring out the contours of your smile in a more flattering way.
Look in the mirror or take a few selfies and figure out what pose looks the most like you.
When it comes time to pose for a picture, try to turn so that your best side faces the camera.
However, don't contort yourself trying to get in a certain position
- that will defeat the purpose! , Like anything else in life, smiling comes more easily with a lot of practice.
Try smiling in the mirror in the morning before you leave to go about your day.
Practice smiling with your mouth open just so, and remember to engage your eyes.
The more you do it, the more natural it will feel to smile at people or for pictures.
About the Author
Teresa Kim
Enthusiastic about teaching DIY projects techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: