Sometimes, when applied over-enthusiastically, composite bonding can make teeth look blocky – like little white headstones. This can also happen when a dentist uses too much material, if the composite doesn’t have a believable amount of translucency, or if the shade doesn’t match your natural teeth.
After a little (well-executed) composite bonding on my right tooth, the gap was gone. The effect was as transformative as a good haircut, and I knew I wouldn’t be picking over pictures of myself, lamenting over that small – but very noticeable – space.
The next step was to lighten and brighten. Wary of the very old Crest White strips languishing in my bathroom, I asked Dr Rhode how to quickly get my teeth up to code. She suggested a take-home whitening kit with gumshield-like trays created from scans of my mouth. You squirt a hydrogen peroxide solution into the trays and wear them for an hour every day for two weeks. I was religious about using them and noticed results after the second or third day. By September 20, my smile was – and I can say this objectively – perfect.
Regular facials
The second focus of my wedding prep was my face. I didn’t want to tweak, freeze or fill anything, but I did want my skin to look like a freshly glazed pastry. Because my skin skews extra dry with a tendency towards eczema, I had to find a facial that improved texture and tone without irritating my very fussy skin barrier. Sarah Chapman’s Bespoke Facial proved to be just the thing. In the celebrity facialist’s Skinesis Clinic, I had gentle exfoliation, LED therapy, cheek kneading massage and, at one appointment, exosomes.