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THE SKINNY ON TEETH • The higher the sugar and starch content in foods, the greater the risk for cavities. • Frequent snacking increases the chance for cavities. • Sticky or dry foods adhere to teeth and increase chances for cavities. • Fruit juices contain sugar and water and are no better for your teeth than soda pop drinks. • Sensitivity-formulated toothpastes can take 4 weeks or longer to begin working. • There are almost 9,000 accidental pockings and piercings with toothpicks per year. • Anyone playing any type of contact sport should wear a stock or custom mouthguard. • According to Consumer Reports, dentists are among the 5 most trusted professionals in the United States. • Nearly 3 million miles of dental floss was purchased in the U.S. during one recent year. • Approximately 94% of Americans say they brush nightly while only 81% say they brush first thing in the morning. +
Teeth: quite a mouthful L
et’s face it: some body parts are highmaintenance little prima donnas. Just listen to a few their constant demands: “Keep me out of the sun or I warn you, I’ll burn!” “Get me plenty of exercise or I kid you not, I’ll quit so fast it will make your head spin. I’ll just stop. Literally. And don’t expect two weeks notice, either.” “You better watch what you eat. If you don’t, trust me on this: I will make your life miserable night and day.” “Wash me. Condition me. Set me. Curl me. Trim me. Color me.” “Feel lucky, kid? Go ahead. Smoke that. Make my day.” Feed me this. Don’t feed me that. Do this. Don’t do that. Pamper me. Support me. Coddle me. Thank goodness for teeth. They are the hardest working parts of the body. Really. They’re very hard. And they do lots of work. More about that in a moment. But compared to the brain, for instance, which hogs a huge amount of oxygen, and the heart, which is always threatening to attack if you don’t treat it right, teeth are like a good wife or girlfriend: extremely low maintenance. Last week I interviewed Martinez dentist Dr. Steven Wilson about what it takes to keep teeth healthy, and what words of wisdom he might pass along to tooth owners everywhere. I settled in with pen and notebook, ready to write. He said, and I quote: “Brush and floss.” And...? That’s only three words, doc. I have an entire newspaper to fill here. I asked him to expand, clarify and elucidate. “Brush and floss daily,” he said, by way of expanding, clarifying, and elucidating. I could see right away writing this article was going to be like pulling teeth. I checked in with Patty, his world-class dental hygienist, but she was equally
succinct. I got the same four words from her. So the deal seems to be that yes, teeth need care, but that the care is simple and ridiculously easy to provide. Seriously, can anyone can say that brushing and flossing every day would be difficult?
Well, okay. Maybe it’s not all that easy for some. But for the rest of us, there’s really no excuse. Nor should there be. Teeth are extremely important. For starters, they play a major role in our self-esteem. If you doubt that fact, answer this question: What is red and bad for your teeth? The answer is as clear as the nose on your face: a brick. If said brick was applied to said teeth with some degree of force, trust us when we say your self-esteem would plummet. Smiling in public would expose you to rude stares and the terrified screams of frightened children. You would have a hard time speaking. Imagine what people would think every time you opened your mouth through your fat lips. Beyond smiling and speaking and their important contribution to our self-esteem, teeth play another extremely vital task: they man the front desk of the body’s nutritional department. They are, as a group, the receptionist. It’s not just that proper nutrition promotes Please see TEETH page 10
JULY 6, 2012
Desiderata • Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. • Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. • Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. • Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism. • Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. • Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. • Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. • And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its shams, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. • Strive to be happy. + © Max Ehrmann 1927 (Desiderata: Latin: “desired things”)
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