Most Chicagoans consider Labor Day to be the last hurrah of summer. With the kiddos back in school, a little extra time on your hands, and perfectly beautiful weather to enjoy, we’re not complaining! The extra weekend day means that there is 50% more time for memory-making and soaking up the last of the summer sunshine. Between backyard barbecues, boat days on the lake, and rooftop soirees, this is an on-the-go type of weekend! With all the social engagements and photo ops, you don’t want to be caught with a dull smile or less than stellar breath. So we’ve put together this quick list of 5 Smile Essentials that are teeny enough to slip into your purse or pocket for those mid-day refreshers!
Crest Scope Breath Mist
Tried and true this breath spray is small but mighty! It’s half the size of a roll of mentos (cue their catchy jingle!) and it packs a punch. An innocent handful of salt and vinegar chips, while you’re grazing the snack table, can linger on your breath for a while! Just one quick spritz will have you smelling like you’ve just brushed your teeth and you won’t have to worry about if your nosey aunt can smell the lingering scent. Now that’s fresh!
Teeth Wipes
Remember the good old days when you’d have an impromptu sleepover with your besties? When you were caught without a toothbrush, you’d do the “finger-brush”. Well, these textured cloths are infused with a bit of toothpaste to give your smile a touch-up brushing without the need for a full-size toothbrush and toothpaste! They are about the size of a business card and so discreet to whip out after a meal (though manners-wise we’d say take it to the restroom). You could even stash a couple of these in your wallet for future use!
Floss Picks
Corn on the cob, both a favorite summer barbeque staple and the food most likely to get stuck in your teeth no matter how careful you try to be. It never fails; you’re halfway through that buttery sweet goodness and a piece gets wedged between your teeth. Now, what are you to do? There’s no way your tongue can flick it out, and going at it with a fingernail just pushes it in further. Floss picks to the rescue! These tiny pieces of floss can free the stray piece of corn in seconds. No damage to your gums and definitely no walking around a party with a piece of food sticking out of your smile!
Zoom Whitening Pen
Halfway through your day, you enjoyed coffee, barbeque sauce, maybe a red sangria (or two!) and all of those tend to darken your smile. No one wants a dingy smile in their holiday weekend photos, we all want a bright white beaming smile! But all these tasty treats are coming between you and your bright beaming teeth. A good rule of thumb that we like to use here at Sugar Fix is if it’ll stain a white shirt, it’ll dull your smile. Not to worry! Phillips, the same makers of Zoom Teeth Whitening Treatment, have come out with a whitening pen that’s perfect for on-the-go touch-up whitening for your smile! Just click the tip of the pen until a bit of teeth whitening gel eases out of the brush on the end. Simply brush the gel on your smile and you’re good to go! A bonus for the light minty flavor is to give you that fresh feeling.
Lip Balm with SPF
We tend to remember to put sunscreen all over our bodies, and wear hats to protect our face from signs of aging, but what about our lips? At Sugar Fix, cosmetic dentistry goes beyond the teeth to include healthy lips! That’s why we provide complimentary lip balm with SPF to all our patients in their goody bags. Even if your lips don’t burn, they still can be damaged from sun exposure leading to early signs of again like the small lines lipstick bleeds into. We like to recommend a lip stain underneath, then layer our SPF lip balm over it throughout the day. This way your smile will be ready for both close-ups AND candids!
Now, we’ve done a test of all 5 products, and together they’re small enough to fit into a clutch without displacing your cell phone or wallet. You can live it up this weekend without wondering if your smile can keep up… it definitely can shine through till Monday. Enjoy your weekend, Chicago!