Beauty: The secret of reality TV stardom

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Thanks to reality TV, talent in acting or singing is no longer necessary to win the nod of Hollywood producers these days. The ability to keep the people interested with one’s affairs, no matter how mundane they are, will earn a celebrity lots of projects and product endorsement deals.

A perfect example of this would be Kim Kardashian. She has become a Hollywood darling despite constantly being criticized for her lack of talent. However, her strength is in knowing how to play the game and greatly investing in her looks.

Aside from having the ability to entertain the public by letting them follow her personal life, Kim Kardashian is aware of how important one’s physical appearance is when working in the entertainment industry. She also knows that the competition to stand out from numerous reality TV stars is tough.

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This has influenced her to undergo various cosmetic procedures for appearance enhancement. She even posted a tweet about her visit to a cosmetic dentist once.

Just like Kim Kardashian, other reality TV stars also have the desire to look flawless. This, perhaps, is among the factors that led to the establishment of not just cosmetic surgery clinics but also of cosmetic dental clinics, like the Kevin Sands Dental Inc. and California Smile Design, which offer a wide range of cosmetic dental procedures.

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For more information on the cosmetic dentistry services offered by California Smile Design and reviews of its successes, visit its website.

Food and great smiles go together (in more ways than one)

Traditionally, people see good food as having a terrible effect on their teeth. After all, people brush their teeth to get rid of the food stuck in between them. Recent studies, however, show that what people eat have both negative and positive effects on their overall oral health. Incorporating foods that benefit the teeth and gums can go a long way in helping prevent long-term oral health problems.

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A healthy diet benefits the health of a person holistically, teeth and gums included. However, specific foods have been discovered to give specific positive boosts to oral health. Many of these positive effects not only include helping build healthier teeth and gums, but also prevent tooth decay and gum disease, respectively. These foods are as follows:

• Citrus fruits. The body needs vitamin C to repair connective tissue. Eating food rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, can help prevent periodontal diseases such as gingivitis.

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• Crisp fruits and vegetables. Crunchy and crisp fruits and vegetables act as a detergent on teeth, stripping off bacteria from their surfaces. In addition, they also require a lot of chewing, which stimulates saliva production and helps lower the amount of bacteria in the mouth.

• Tea. Despite the staining that tea is known to do, compounds in tea have been known to suppress the growth of cavity-causing bacteria.

Certain foods, such as gummy and hard candies and soda, remain high on the dentists’ list of things to avoid. Moreover, even food that benefits teeth contain sugars, and brushing, flossing, and biannual dental checkups remain important aspects of oral health.

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Those who want a healthy and aesthetically appealing smile can seek the services of dental clinics like California Smile Design to help keep their teeth healthy and beautiful. More information is available on this website.

5 Ways to Naturally Whiten Your Teeth

This article appeared in the Nov. 21, 2012 online edition of Dental Health Magazine. It provides some solutions on how to naturally brighten one’s smile.

Everyone wants beautiful white teeth. Unfortunately, many of the modern whitening techniques used by dentists can be harsh and abrasive on your teeth; causing more harm them good in the long term.

A Tip for When You Sip
Did you know that an inexpensive plastic straw may hold the power to keeping your teeth beautiful? The first tip for preserving the natural whiteness of your teeth has nothing to do with what you put on your teeth, but rather what you don’t put on them. Using a straw when you drink creates a barrier from beverages depositing directly onto your teeth.

A straw funnels your drink directly into your mouth without letting it linger over your teeth. This cuts down on the contact your teeth have with sugary or acid drinks that cause the breakdown of your tooth’s enamel.

Refresh Your Mouth with Baking Soda
Many popular toothpaste brands boast baking soda in the list of ingredients. Using baking soda as a rinse on occasion can bring out the natural whiteness of your teeth. Since baking soda is mildly abrasive, you should avoid using it as a daily solution.

In addition, avoid rigorously brushing the baking soda directly over your teeth, as the grit can cause abrasion that wears down your enamel. A splash of all-natural baking soda will leave your mouth feeling clean and refreshing.

Oil Pulling
Oil pulling is an ancient technique that has become a hit in modern times. Using either coconut oil or sesame seed oil, simply swish the oil around in your mouth, over teeth and gums, for up to fifteen minutes. This process removes bacteria and promotes a healthy mouth free of tooth decay that causes yellowing or staining of the teeth.

Eat Your Veggies
Your mother told you vegetables were good for you, and she wasn’t lying. Turns out, veggies can also boost your smile. That’s because naturally crunchy foods such as lettuce, broccoli, and apples actually act as natural tooth cleansers.

As you bite and gnaw your way through your favorite freshly-picked snack, the crunching acts an effective method of picking away plaque and debris in between and on your teeth that cause a yellow appearance.

Calcium 
You already know that calcium helps build strong bones and protects you against osteoporosis. As if that wasn’t enough to make calcium intake a priority in your diet, now it turns out that consuming enough calcium can help keep your teeth white too.

That’s because just like with bones, teeth depend on calcium to maintain their structure and durability. Healthy teeth are white teeth, so the more fortified your teeth are with calcium, the more likely they are not to yellow.

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