Open the image in Photoshop, preferably in a JPEG format. The first step towards creating pearly white teeth is highlighting the area i.e. the teeth using the Lasso tool.
Now go to the vertical menu bar, and choose the Dodge tool. This is used to brighten any part of a photograph or image. Using the dodge tool will brighten up the selected area (the teeth) in the image. The Dodge tool is an excellent option that can be used to whiten the eyes, teeth or other areas on your image that you want lightened.
The next step involves brushing up the teeth, literally. Go to the brush drop down menu and choose a fuzzy brush. Ensure that the size is optimum as working with a brush that is too small or too large can impact the overall quality of your image. Try choosing a size as accurate as possible, to get a balanced and natural effect.
Select 50% exposure as it renders natural brightness that goes well with most images. Now move the Dodge tool evenly over the teeth to whiten them. You can reduce the exposure if you feel the teeth are looking 'unnaturally' white.
Use the 'magnifying glass' icon in the toolbar to zoom in to the area you are working on. This allows you to take a closer look at the area and then run the brush accordingly over the teeth. Use slow movements without releasing your mouse, and run your brush as many times as you want till the desired whiteness is achieved.
If you feel you have overdone the whitening, you can fix it easily. Click Edit >Step backwards and you will go one tone lighter, or you can use the 'Fade Dodge tool' in the Edit section to fade the entire whitening effect. You can set this up as per your needs and preferences.
Ensure that there is no unevenness in the selected area, and you haven't left out any patches that might look odd in the final product. The teeth should look evenly brightened and any spots or unevenness must be corrected.
Once the required brightness and whitening is achieved, you need to desaturate the picture. Select the 'Desaturate' tool to even out the entire area on which you have used the dodge tool.
This is just one of the many ways to whiten teeth in a natural and simple way. To learn more of such techniques and methods, you will need to enroll for a Photoshop tutorial or course and gain complete understanding of the various facets of Photoshop.
