Entering the final countdown for one of the biggest days in any bride's life can often bring the kind of stress that can take its toll, not to mention the biggest A-List wedding of the year - the marriage of Chelsea Clinton to Marc Mezvinsky, which has the media swarming like 'bees to honey' for any bit of information or glimpse of wedding planning activity. While the reality show, Bridezillas, comes to mind as a caricature of the stress of marital planning, the truth is that the emotional stress for any bride during this period can cause her to binge on junk food, starve herself, not sleep, and reach a point of emotional exhaustion.
This is also the kind of stress that can affect the clarity of skin and diminish the beauty of your smile. A host of dental problems can be avoided with some simple wedding 'wellness planning.'
So here's some A-List Smile Smile Wellness Advicefor Chelsea and all brides in the wedding countdown:
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1.Eliminate the junk and go natural: Besides the junk food temptations that many people have when under emotional stress, you need to eliminate harmful oral care products that have harsh detergents and alcohol (mouthwashes) that disturb the oral environment and can actually cause more stress to your teeth and gums. Most of the commercial care products have an array of harsh detergents and chemicals. Instead, go for the more gentle and natural alternatives for your mouth. I recommend Revitin, which was developed to restore and replenish like a 'spa treatment' for your mouth. It's all natural and has been shown to whiten teeth and freshen breath while staying completely natural.
2. Remember the nutritional A-list: an Alkaline, Anti-inflammatory, and Antioxidant-rich diet: Stress can cause the body to turn acidic. A more raw food diet can counteract that. Rich, leafy green salads with plenty of fresh summer veggies are a great choice. Avoid inflammatory diet triggers that many people have such as wheat, dairy and gluten. These can drag your energy level and immune system down. Stress can also cause the body to burn high amounts of key antioxidants that are necessary for proper cell function and defense. Reactive Oxidative Stress (ROS) causes thousands of damaging free radicals to run amuck in the body. Key antioxidants include vitamins C, E, A, Coenzyme-Q10, and B-complex. I recommend taking Quercitin which also provides alkalizing, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant support.
3. Keep exercising: The frenzy of activity the week before your wedding can cause many brides to 'blow off' exercising when in fact regular aerobic activity is just what your body needs to stay healthy. Besides the healthy release of endorphins in the brain, which promote well-being, physical fitnesshelps to stregthen the immune and circulatory systems, which translates to healthy gums and teeth. Take a morning run, a bike ride or swim each morning. An afternoon workout will help you sleep better at night.
4. Stay centered: The most effective way to manage the damaging effects from stress - especially the fallout in the mouth such as grinding and clenching your teeth - is to take time to center yourself. Meditation, yoga and prayer all help to calm your mind, relax your body, and relieve emotional and physical stress. In fact, these activities can lower your heart rate and blood pressure and cause you to be more focused. Clenching and grinding teeth can do damage to the tooth structure, as well as the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) which can be painful and debilitating.
While all the cosmetic dentistry, teeth whitening and dental cleaning should have been done prior to this time, by following these four cornerstones of oral health, you and your smile will be dazzling in wedding bliss on the big day!
Dr. Gerry Curatola is a renowned aesthetic dentist and pioneer in the emerging field of rejuvenation dentistry, which improves patients' overall health and appearance by integrating total wellness with cutting edge oral care and restorative procedures. In addition to his private practice, research, and work as a Clinical Associate Professor at NYU College of Dentistry, he is an internationally sought after speaker, author and expert who has been featured widely in print and broadcast media. For more information, go to
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