Woman researching teeth whitening apps

5 Things To Look For In A Teeth Whitening App

You know what can be really annoying? When the one pic the entire group snapped makes you question your dental hygiene routine. What a downer.

There are of course plenty of techniques to make sure your teeth are at their whitest. But if your teeth end up looking yellow on camera, wacky white-balance could be to blame. Don't let it irritate you. Bad lighting can be adjusted with a photo-editing app that magically whitens up your teeth. Here are five things to look for in a teeth whitening app:

1. Easy to Use

If the app is frustrating, you'll just be sacrificing your patience for whiter teeth in photos. Instead, look for an intuitive interface that makes it super easy to fix up your teeth in snaps. For example, some apps use a little toothbrush icon to indicate the teeth-whitening tool, which makes it easy to spot.

2. Before and After

You'll want the app to show exactly what you did, so you can tell what exactly changed — and if you like it. Side-by-side images of the original and the altered photos make it easy to compare, which also makes it easy to determine whether you approve of the changes. Read the reviews closely to see if this feature is offered.

3. A Natural Look

Obviously fake, blindingly white teeth may be more embarrassing than slightly yellow teeth. Avoid the white-bar-across-the-mouth look by looking for an app with a nuanced teeth whitening effect. An app that whitens both teeth and the whites of the eyes automatically will look more natural. For additional control, look for an app that lets you choose the shade of white from a gradient palette.

4. Above and Beyond

Check out apps with other features. Apps that let you remove scars or moles, add "make-up", eliminate red eyes, and retouch skin with airbrushing tools will make it quick and easy to perk up your pictures without a lot of fuss. Look for apps that are developed with the input of seasoned photographers and/or make-up professionals.

5. Filter It Up

Look for an app with easy-to-use filters or pre-sets. It's a simple way to get automatic, one-touch editing for brightness, contrast, saturation and colour temperature. Certain filters are great for whitening teeth in photos, too, because a tool like this should auto-fix things like off-kilter white balance, which can be to blame for teeth photographing yellow in the first place.

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