It might surprise you to know that I do not judge people by their clothes. Shoes, maybe (if they ruin an outfit, are made of pleather, etc.), but everyone has their own style and that keeps life interesting.
I do, however, have issues with bad teeth. Like that commercial with the beautiful woman who’s all made up and excited for her hot hubby date – until she flashes a yellow smile in the mirror. It’s all over from there, just as when someone is put together from head to toe in every way but their mouth – the thing that needs and deserves the most attention.
This is not to say that I floss every day (I’m more of a brusher), or that I haven’t been caught with spinach between my teeth (though I won’t hesitate to tell you if you have some in yours), or that I’m a fan of the horsey-mouths that have taken over Hollywood and Edina High School, thanks to the latest porcelain veneer craze. I have my own guilty pleasure: Invisalign braces.
Although I was a metal-mouth for a brief period in middle school, thanks to some “adult movement” in my adult mouth, my once-perfect teeth had become crowded. Not something anyone besides my dentist or I had noticed, but that’s two perfectionists too many. So about three months ago I got fitted for Invisalign. They’re clear, plastic trays that work like traditional braces but are nearly impossible to detect. I take them out to eat and drink, I put in a new set every two weeks (each of which moves my teeth in the right direction, ever so slightly), and for the most part don’t even know I’m wearing them. In a couple more months I’ll have straight, evenly spaced teeth. And (insert shameless plug for our Top Dentists list in the current issue), I’ll have my dental office to thank. I’ve been a patient at Northview Dental for almost 20 years. They scrape and poke and make me swish with horrible-tasting things, but they also keep my greatest accessory looking like a million bucks.
