Dental Crowns And Photography: Capturing A Natural Smile

Major changes to your mouth may change your self-esteem for something as simple as taking a picture. If you're in need of a dental crown, there are many ways you can prepare and work with a dentist to minimize the crown's effect on your smile. With the proper adjustments, you can ensure that your dental crowns will not be a sore thumb in any future pictures that you are a part of.

The following five tips apply both in and out of the dental office as you prepare and complete your smile makeovers.

Resin Dental Crown

To help keep your smile as natural as possible, you should inquire about a resin tooth crown. These crowns are made with a liquid material that hardens and forms into the shape of the tooth that the crown will make. A resin crown is very similar to porcelain crowns as both are a natural white color.

One of the main differences is the glossy shine that porcelain gives off. When comparing pictures between a resin and porcelain crown, the porcelain one stands out more and doesn't look as genuine. When given the option, request resin material. It is also durable and ideal for the front teeth of your mouth.

Metal Crowns

Insurance plans, prices, and dental resources may impact the type of materials available for your tooth crown. If your options only include metal crowns, then there are still ways to minimize the effects of these crowns in photographs.

  • Hybrid Crowns: To help with your affordability, you may be able to get a metal crown that has a resin or porcelain layer over the top edges. This layer adds extra protection and blends into your mouth easily.
  • Stainless Steel Crowns: Metal crowns like made of nickel and gold alloy add a metallic shine that can become very noticeable in images. A stainless steel crown has more of a dull look to it that will help blend with images. This type of filling is ideal for back teeth like molars.

Photograph Lighting

Once the crown is in, your new smile is ready to show off to the world. Instead of emphasizing the crowns in the mouth, there are some lighting tricks that will help remove the glare and fabricated look to your smile.

  • Side-Lit Shots: Placing the light source on the side of your face will create an artistic look that eliminates direct light on your teeth. This type of lighting can also naturally highlight smiles.
  • Back-Lit Shots: Placing the light directly behind you can create a soft look and put extra shadows in your mouth to help cover up any glares that may occur.

Play with different lighting situations from places where you normally take pictures. It's a lot easier to adjust to natural lighting situations rather than indoor lights or random lighting when out in public locations.

Image Angles

The angles that you take images from can have a huge impact on viewing crowns. Try to take an image as straight on as possible. When holding a cell phone for a picture, it's natural to lift up and angle the camera downwards. This angle shows your whole mouth and will reveal a majority of crowns, especially on the bottom of your mouth. The same effect can happen when the camera is angled up towards the roof of your mouth.

One of the easiest ways to shoot on a straight angle is by setting a phone or camera up on a tripod and using an automatic timer. With the tripod, you can angle the camera as straight on as possible and deliver a beautiful smile.

Alternate Poses

Until you are comfortable with the new crowns in your mouth, there are alternate poses to consider. A closed mouth smile is the easiest adjustment to make, but if you're not used to that, then you may have to practice in the mirror a little bit to get used to the smile.

Props can also cover your mouth up for photos. Examples include large collars, scarves, or creative poses with groups of people.

Over time you will get used to the crowns and open up to the world of photography again. The crowns are ultimately a great choice for protecting your teeth, gums, and oral health.


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