How to get that Hollywood smile

Glossy magazines, red carpet film premiers, talk shows and on the big screen itself, everywhere you look it's never hard to come across a gleaming set of celebrity teeth. Known as the 'Hollywood smile', for big name actors and actresses, having perfectly white teeth is all part of looking glamorous for the cameras. Of course, being able to smile confidently is something that everyone would enjoy, not just movie stars, so it's no surprise that more and more people are looking for ways to brighten up their smiles.

Simple everyday factors like coffee, smoking and red wine all lead invariably to mild teeth discolouration. For most people this is nothing worth correcting, but fortunately for those who want to, there is a choice of minor cosmetic treatments to choose from. Many pharmacies will have products claiming to offer you a Hollywood smile which can work, but a tried and tested method is a teeth whitening programme from your dentist. This will usually involve a series of four or five visits to your dentist, or dental clinic specialist, who will paint a mild bleaching coating over your teeth, gradually whitening them.

For the very best looking smile though, it doesn't get more advanced than cosmetic dentistry. For a lot of money, you can completely overhaul your entire smile by visiting a cosmetic dentist who specialises in producing perfect smiles through implanting veneers. However one slightly cheaper option is to use a cheaper composite bonding instead of the pricey porcelain veneers, and the dentist would do this by painting a gel over your teeth which then hardens and can be shaped and smoothed to form a new 'tooth'. This can generally be achieved in a single visit too, but unfortunately the gleaming results only tend to last between five and ten years, compared to porcelain veneers which can last well over ten years, but require a lot more time and money to apply.

Of course there's no harm in trying a more natural method of whitening your teeth at home. If your teeth are generally in quite good shape and are only a little discoloured, then you could perhaps try using a baking soda-based toothpaste. It can act as a natural teeth whitener and, by just dipping your wet toothbrush into a tub of baking soda, you should be able to see results within a week.

Another method which some dental practices and clinics offer which can be good value, especially if you have dental insurance, is home bleaching. This completely non-invasive method involves a rubber mould being made of your upper and lower teeth, which will then fit your mouth perfectly; much like a sport gums shield. At home, a whitening gel is painted over these moulds and then you wear them for an hour or two at a time. Of course everyone's teeth are different, so a dentist or consultant would always advise you on how long you should wear the mould for.