By Angie Bennett
Each and every person, be it guy or gal, has what they consider to be their best feature; the bit of their body from which they draw that extra pep of confidence – which is definitely where the sexy comes from… Confidence ladies, inner confidence!
It’s like the chicken or the egg chat; do you have the self-confidence and poise because you are happy in life and feel glam, or do you have that happiness and X-factor because you feel confident?
The other week an article caught my eye about how Penelope Cruz deals with her insecurities and at first glance it felt like a bit of a punch in the gut (my wibbly one of course as she certainly doesn’t have anything that remotely resembles a paunch). I think you would have to go pretty far to find a person that didn’t think Ms Cruz was at the very least a bit of a hottie, not to mention sophisticated, elegant, and definitely glam. To be honest, I didn’t get past the first glance as I like to keep as much space between me and Ms Cruz as possible. And then of course that bouncy ball of a penny drops once again and you acknowledge the crux of the madding moment; feeling confident and attractive is wrapped up (with double sided sticky tape and industrial superglue) in a world where we are only just starting to move away from the mad-capped size zero craze and people remain obsessed with comparing themselves to others. For some, means going to extremes just to feel comfortable in their own skin.
We know we shouldn’t do it, yet we do, again and again and then a little bit more; “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” Albert Einstein, who I hear was a genius. This is why when I sulk (you may pull hair, cry, get chip-faced on a pint of ice-cream, or what-not) about having a fat day I try to subdue to foolish rocking forward and back and scream ‘stop it’ (hopefully just in my head though an “ARRRR” sometimes escapes the lips).
Although there remain numerous orange skinned ‘tanned’ people wandering around (the oopaloompa ‘you now when you’ve been tangoed’ look is certainly squirm and giggle worthy, but add to this the number of frazzle salons in Glasgow alone and you cringe at thought that it is not from a bottle) I take comfort in the fact that natural beauty is coming back with a sweet sweet vengeance, albeit taking its time.
Picking up magazines of the airbrushed (Occasions tends not to slim or re-model our girls), the tweaked and the tweezed – not to mention the celebs that preen within an inch of their lives – it is understandable that even the most together girls can go a bit loopy from time to time over 101 different things to do with the way their hair, feet, bums, tums or teeth look.
For me right now it is my front teeth that are the recurrent source of drama (six months ago it was the aging of my eyes – I like to mix up my neuroses). When I was 15 I went down the braces road and to cut a very long and very traumatic story short, at 26 I have two veneers at the front one of which cracked in half not long ago leaving a peg tooth… sexy!
As a dentist Dr. Rita (I will introduce her properly her in just a few lines) could be considered a wee bit biased when it comes to what keeps folk smiling; the people that sit in her surgery chair all tend to agree that when they giggle, guffaw or belly chuckle, their confidence comes with being happy with their smile. Having the confidence to grin and bear the 32 white horses on the red sea goes a long way to increasing confidence, and on this I would have to agree. Not being able to smile for the four days I was waiting to see my dentist has that effect.
Don’t get me wrong tweaking your appearance is not the bulletproof road to happiness some folk think it is – being proactive about what is bothering you is the way forward combined with a healthy dose of living in the real world rather than a make believe life in “Barbie land”. However, if like me, you have a bug-bear with your teeth you just can’t shift (no one in my life seemed to notice when half my tooth went awol, so I know it is probably mostly in my head) then the dentist is the way forward.
Dr Rita is the owner and Director of Bath Street Dental in Glasgow, and with over ten years in the tooth business she knows the pearly whites; she will be on hand to answer your questions regarding a winning smile in our new section titled DR Rita’s Smile Clinic – send in your questions to drrita@bathstreetdental.co.uk and she can point you in the right direction.
To start us off she has picked out three questions she has come across in the last wee while…
DR RITA’S SMILE CLINIC
Q. I dislike my discolored teeth, should I whiten my teeth? I heard someone say that it damages your teeth.
A. The most common causes of tooth discoloration are the consumption of staining foods, smoking, old fillings, genetics and antibiotic staining (tetracycline).
There are two types of discoloration external & internal. External staining can be removed with a scale & polish from your hygienist and a procedure called an Air-Flow®, the Air-Flow technology which blasts off staining with bicarbonate of soda using a high powered jet.
Internal discoloration can only be improved by a tooth whitening procedure. The most popular procedures are in-surgery teeth whitening and professional take-home tooth-whitening kits with custom-made trays. Both procedures are based on a bleaching process that uses a peroxide-based compound of varying strength (3%-30% peroxide). The gel penetrates the natural channels in the teeth and gently whitens the tooth. Sometimes the channels can temporarily remain open and this can cause short lived sensitivity. This is where the myth has come that whitening your teeth can damage them.
Whitening is a very safe procedure and does not damage your teeth. If tooth whitening is carried out by a trained dental professional it is a fast and predictable procedure and can whiten your teeth from between 2-16 shades; taking two to four weeks.
A whitening system that has been featured in numerous press releases and on television is Enlighten ®. This is the best at home whitening system on the market in my professional opinion.
Q. The enamel on my tooth is beginning to disappear, what can I do to stop this?
A. The 3 most common causes of tooth enamel disintegration are as follows:
ATTRITION
Tooth-to-tooth friction causes the form of wear called "attrition." This can be cause by grinding your teeth excessively. Teeth wear down overtime naturally but some people develop an abnormal habit of grinding that can result in the loss of length in the natural tooth. This can be caused by stress or anxiety and generally the person does not realize they are doing it. It generally happens at night. It is wise if you are aware that you are a grinder that you arrange with your dentist to have a nightguard made, this will protect your teeth as you sleep.
EROSION
Acid erosion, also known as dental erosion, is the irreversible loss of tooth structure due to chemical dissolution. The enamel is lost due to fizzy drinks, acid reflux and if you have any stomach problems, it is imperative you seek medical advise.
ABRASION
Tooth abrasion is caused by something rubbing or scraping against the teeth. Brushing too hard is a common cause of abrasion. It leaves a ‘V’ shaped grooves, usually along the part of the tooth which meets the gum. It causes sensitivity to cold foods and drinks and sometimes to sweet foods.
Cosmetic options for all of the above can be discussed with your dentist.
Q. I hate my squinty teeth and don’t smile anymore!! I’m in my early 20s and not sure I can face having chunks of metal on my teeth. Please advise and help me.
A. The best way to straighten misaligned teeth is with braces. There are discrete and invisible braces on the market available from your specialist orthodontist. Braces take from nine months to two years to work their magic.
INVISALIGN ®
Your Invisalign treatment consists of a series of nearly invisible, removable aligners that you change every two weeks for the next set of aligners. Each aligner is individually manufactured for your teeth, and your teeth only. As you replace each aligner, your teeth will move – little by little, week by week – until they have straightened to the final position prescribed by your dental practitioner.
LINGUAL
Lingual braces are custom made fixed braces bonded to the back of the teeth making them invisible to other people.
It is important before any orthodontic work can be carried out you ensure your gums are healthy and you continue with your regular dental check-ups during and after your treatment.
