While the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show won’t air until Sunday, December 2, the Angels have descended on NYC ahead of the taping of the annual lingerie spectacular on Thursday, November 8. Swedish beauty Elsa Hosk has been tapped with the honor of wearing this year’s million-dollar Dream Angels Fantasy Bra, which means she’ll need her smile to be in tip-top shape. We caught up with Hosk’s cosmetic dentist, Michael Apa, DDS, to get some Angel-worthy tips on how to keep our pearly whites, well, white, ahead of a big event.
Dr. Apa, who is a partner at Apa Rosenthal Group in NYC, has some 15 years of experience tending to famous smiles like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and Chloë Sevigny to name a few. Oh, and then there are the house — ahem, palace — calls he makes to royal families in the Middle East (he also has an office in Dubai).
Whether you’re prepping for the VS runway like Hosk or simply want to keep your smile bright this holiday season, Dr. Apa says, first and foremost, that it is important to remember there is a difference between a “healthy” smile and a “white” one, and we should all be aiming for the former.
While every patient’s needs are different, the Apa Beauty founder says there are an array of treatments available to help perfect the teeth and smile before a special event. If time is of the essence, Dr. Apa recommends a quick one-visit teeth whitening service or porcelain veneers, which, he says, “can be done in as few as three office visits and as quickly as a few days.” There are also options like Invisalign and gum procedures, as needed.
“A lot can be done in a short period of time – including a complete smile makeover with veneers – but we typically recommend for patients to schedule their consultation in a month or two prior to the event to understand the possibilities for their smile so that we can map out an appropriate treatment plan,” he explains. “Some plans are quite simple and can be achieved in as little as 10 days from start to finish, but others can be more complex.”
The key, he says, is to make sure you are consistently staying on top of your dental health (hello, twice-a-year cleanings), so there isn’t as much to do when something pops up. And at-home care is equally important. Dr. Apa, who shares his smile work (and frequent flyer miles!) with his 225,000 Instagram followers, recommends the Apa White Duo from his line for results in less than a week.
And how does someone like Hosk ensure her smile gleams just as bright as that Swarovski-encrusted fantasy bra in the last few days before Thursday’s show?
“Use a straw when drinking anything you’re afraid might harm or stain your teeth,” Dr. Apa says. “And drink a lot of water! Saliva is the best defense against to prevent stains from setting in.” Noted.
