Your smile is your best accessory, and on your wedding day, it’s front and centre. From smiling through vows to posing for photos, you’ll be grinning non-stop. That’s why savvy brides and grooms are saying yes to pre-wedding dental care. Whether it’s whitening, straightening or a simple polish, a confident smile can elevate your entire look. Melbourne Wedding & Bride’s Jessica Muller chats with Tegan Di Pietro, the group ambassador at BEC Dental, about how pre wedding dental care can help you feel flawless. After all, love may be blind, but wedding photos are forever.
BEC Dental is a group of leading quality practices, spanning five locations in metropolitan Melbourne. “Most of our dentists have twenty years or more experience and therefore know that their work far outlasts the average,” Di Pietro says. “We are a team that love what we do and are proud of our ethical care, so we don’t sell treatments we wouldn’t provide to our own families. Our practices are each a home away from home, a place where the energy is good and you know you are working with the best.”
Di Pietro has seen many amazing transformations over the years in the overall wellbeing of their patients. “Patients that come through our doors stay for their lifetime, as do their families, and that speaks volumes,” she says. “Our patients come to us because we don’t hard sell.”
Image courtesy of BEC Dental.
THE MOTIVATION
While a wedding day marks the start of the journey of a lifetime, it can feel daunting knowing that the photographs and videos will be looked at and cherished for decades to come, especially if you aren’t confident in your smile. “If you’re not proud of your smile, you won’t smile broadly, and that makes people look less confident,” Di Pietro puts simply. “A smile is not just about appearance, because the radiance that comes from it helps demonstrate all your happiness, welcoming all those people who are there to celebrate this special day in your lives,” she explains.
For some, the desire for an improved smile predates the wedding. “Perhaps it’s a childhood insecurity about crooked teeth, or the lingering wish for white, brighter teeth,” Di Pietro says. “Anyone can relate to how someone will smile if they aren’t confident in their teeth. Just think how you might smile if you think you have spinach caught in your teeth,” she describes.
The areas people most often want to work on are the colour, the shape and the alignment of their teeth. “Often people aren’t sure about why they don’t like their smile, and this is often because their teeth are not in harmony with their facial shape and gums,” she notes. “It’s like artwork. You need a perfect frame to enhance beautiful artwork.”
Sometimes, it’s not just the bride or groom seeking pre-wedding dental care. “In the months leading up to their daughter’s wedding, we had a mother and father of the bride make a joint commitment to make sure they looked and felt their best for their daughter’s big day,” Di Pietro recalls. “With renewed confidence in their smiles, they were smiling broadly, releasing all those feel-good hormones and improving their overall wellbeing,” she describes. By the time the big day arrived, it wasn’t only their daughter that was glowing.
THE TREATMENTS
So, what kind of treatments are available? For pre wedding dental care, Di Pietro reports that teeth whitening and orthodontic treatments such as clear aligners, veneers and gum lifts are all popular treatment options. Professional cleanings and dental checkups to make sure there’s no toothaches or dental problems while on honeymoon are also essential.
BEC Dental offers three wedding packages, which cover all these areas and are tailored to suit your timeline and budget. At your first consultation, the team can advise the most suitable and effective treatments, taking into account your unique oral health circumstances and aesthetic goals. “We get smiles healthy and looking good and show you how to care for your smile so you can have your wedding day smile for many years to come,” Di Pietro assures.
THE PROCESS
Di Pietro emphasises that the first and most essential step in the BEC Dental approach is taking the time to truly understand each couple’s vision. “Every person has unique aspirations for their smile – some may desire natural, subtle enhancements, while others might hope for more transformative results,” she says. “We take the time needed to listen to you, know you and understand you, so we can look after your specific, individual needs.”
During the initial consultations, the team invites couples to share their expectations, concerns, inspirations and aspirations. “We encourage them to bring in photos, discuss their favourite features, or even express any anxieties they may have regarding dental treatment,” Di Pietro says. This collaborative approach ensures that BEC Dental is not merely providing a service but partnering with couples to achieve their desired look. They then can co-design their new smiles with Digital Smile Design, and to provide extra reassurance, the proposed end result is tried on before treatment begins.
“Our team takes a holistic view, considering facial structure, skin tone and personal style to tailor recommendations that harmonise with and enhance each individual’s natural beauty,” Di Pietro explains. “We want our patients to be confident, relaxed and comfortable about what they’re going to get as an end result,” she adds.
TIMELINES & TIPS
Di Pietro advises that ideally, couples should begin their dedicated dental care routine about one year before the wedding. “This extended period ensures all options suitable for your individual needs can be provided in the time before the wedding, whether maintenance or a makeover,” she says. “However, we can make magic happen and get you wedding day ready as close as one month out from your big day.”
Di Pietro also advises open communication with your partner is foundational. “Before considering any dental treatment, take the time to discuss your goals, concerns and expectations with one another,” she suggests. “Are you both interested in cosmetic enhancements, or is one partner more enthusiastic than the other? Is there a specific aspect – such as teeth whitening, straightening or addressing dental discomfort that’s most important to you?” Aligning your aspirations ensures you’re both on the same page, supporting each other’s choices.