There is a strong connection between smiling and success in life.

Did you know your college student’s smile has a significant effect on their success in life?

Studies show individuals with a confident, beautiful smile and straight teeth tend to have higher success in all facets of life, especially their careers and relationships. With your teen getting ready to graduate high school or leave for college and start their own journey, they are at a pivotal point in life. Helping them get a stunning, healthy smile will increase their success at school, in job interviews, and when socializing, and will simply boost their self-confidence.

Here are some ideas for how you can help your teen get their best smile before they leave for college, the workforce, or any other exciting path they’ve chosen to take.

Get any existing oral health issues taken care of before they leave for college.

Oral health issues don’t get better with time. A small cavity in your teen’s tooth can end up being a big problem if treatment is delayed. They could end up needing more intensive treatment or, worse, may find themselves with a bad toothache when they’re far from home.

Since your teen is finishing high school, now is the best time to take care of any outstanding dental problems. This is even more true if your teen will be leaving Greensboro for school or work and you’re concerned they might forget dental appointments while they try to juggle a busy new schedule.

Schedule your teen’s bi-annual cleanings and exams to work with their school breaks.

Bi-annual cleanings and exams are easy for your teen to forget when their schedule is jam-packed with school, work, and social events. You can help by scheduling these appointments for them, especially if they’ll be staying in Greensboro or coming home during school breaks.

To save even more time, you can book all of your household’s preventive care appointments ahead of time. We’ll send out appointment reminders so you’ll get a heads-up just in case you or your teen forgets.

Book a bruxism evaluation if they frequently experience headaches or head and neck soreness.

If your teen has been mentioning headaches, consider scheduling a bruxism evaluation for them. Headaches aren’t uncommon for a busy student cramming for school, but when they happen often and are accompanied by head, neck, and jaw soreness, it’s time to see a dental professional.

Your dentist can check out the issue, and if it turns out your teen has been grinding or clenching their teeth, you can get a custom mouth guard for your teen to wear at night. Getting this problem taken care of will ensure your teen’s teeth don’t become damaged and, most importantly, they can get quality sleep.

Give the gift of a professional teeth whitening session so they won’t be tempted by DIY options.

Social media has a huge influence on most college students. The good news is it can help encourage our teens to take an interest in their oral health. Unfortunately, it can also tempt them to look into not-so-safe DIY or store-bought whitening methods.

DIY whitening is never a good idea, and even though store-bought options may be “dentist-approved”, they can still be used incorrectly. The results can range from painful, sensitive teeth to permanent enamel damage. Play it safe by gifting your teen a professional whitening session at Farless Dental Group. We can even send them home with an at-home kit using our products so they can maintain their smile when they’re away at school.

It’s not too late to straighten their teeth. Ask Dr. Farless about Six Month Smiles.

Crooked teeth can be embarrassing to some teens and may even pose a tooth decay risk when food gets stuck in the nooks and crannies of their smile. Even though you may have opted out of braces when your teen was a child, that doesn’t mean it’s too late to help them straighten their teeth now.

Dr. Farless offers Six Month Smiles, a super-fast straightening option that utilizes clear aligners. As long as your teen is older than 15 years of age and has healthy teeth, they could very well be a candidate. Book a consultation with Dr. Farless to find out what your teen’s options are.

Take care of impacted or problematic wisdom teeth now while they can take time to heal.

In some cases, your teen’s wisdom teeth may be able to come in normally, but Dr. Farless generally recommends they be removed as a preventive care procedure. Most of the time, wisdom teeth are impacted and can not only cause pain as they erupt, but they can also push on your teen’s healthy molars. This can lead to teeth shifting and becoming crooked, and it could change their bite alignment.

If your teen hasn’t had their wisdom teeth removed, now is a good time to see Dr. Farless, have X-rays taken, and discuss what option is best.

Porcelain veneers are the ultimate makeover option for a flawless smile.

If you know your teen doesn’t feel great about their smile and straightening alone won’t help, consider porcelain veneers for them. Porcelain veneers are a permanent choice but are truly the ultimate smile makeover option.

Porcelain veneers can address issues with crookedness, gaps, tooth shape, and discoloration. If your teen has a “gummy” smile they don’t like to share, you can also combine porcelain veneers with gum contouring to bring balance to their smile.

Porcelain veneers are a very big step, and though it comes with many aesthetic and functional benefits, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons with the help of Dr. Farless.

A visit to Dr. Farless can help your student prepare for this big step in life.

Whether your teen is due for a cleaning or they’re interested in a consultation for veneers, Dr. Farless and his team are ready to help in any way they can.

To schedule your teen’s appointments, you can either give our Greensboro office a call directly or fill out our online request form.