Trend Report - Bling is in!

What is the secret to a winning smile?  Some might say the eyes, and others the mouth—but most agree that white, perfectly shaped teeth form the key element.

A full set of human teeth is made up of thirty-two teeth, consisting of extremely hard enamel and softer dentine.  Teeth help us to break down our food and thus form the first stage of our complicated digestive system.  But so much for the facts—let’s get back to the emotional aspect of our beautiful pearly whites.

Get smart with white teeth

Though mostly hidden, there is hardly a part of the body that has such an impact on our appearance.  Teeth are simply an essential beauty trait when it comes to interpersonal communication.  Researchers from King’s College in London presented 100 study participants with photos of smiling faces.  People with bad or crooked teeth were judged by participants not only to be less attractive but also less intelligent and less likeable.  On the other hand, those with artificially whitened teeth were viewed more favourably.  Psychologists found that the study participants also believed them to enjoy greater career success.   

There are people, however, who become successful in spite of their bad teeth.  The most prominent example in Germany is the actor Jürgen Vogel, whose gap-toothed smile soon became his trademark.  The actor has vowed to never alter their appearance, despite numerous offers for free dental correction.

A perfect smile with 3D effect

Does a brilliant smile always mean a fresh mouth?  Just to make sure, we recommend using of a 2 in 1 toothpaste, such as the 2 in 1 3D clean from Theramed (check a retailer in your country for product availability).  This product combines the advantages of a toothpaste and mouthwash.  Its foaming formula penetrates deeply into the spaces in between teeth and removes odour-causing bacteria from the tongue and mouth. 

Structure of Teeth

The outer protective layer, known as the crown, is made up of slightly yellowy dental enamel.  It is the hardest substance produced by the human body.

Underneath lies the dentine.  This bonelike layer forms the main component of teeth and encircles soft tissue called the dental pulp.

The dental pulp consists primarily of nerves and blood vessels, which extend into the jawbone through the root.

In the jawbone, the root is surrounded by cementum. It is interspersed with tiny connective fibers that anchor the tooth into its socket.

Did you know that…

The hottest trend to sweep American hip-hop culture are so called “grills?”  These bling-heavy accessories get their name from the massive chrome fronts of cars.  Like braces, these decorative grills in chrome or gold are fitted onto the incisor teeth and worn proudly as status symbols.

The chewing muscle is the strongest muscle in the body?  Our teeth can exert massive amounts of pressure—about 80 kiloponds per square centimeter, or roughly the same pressure as adult standing with his full weight atop a sugar cube.  This pressure builds powerful chewing muscles that are attached to the upper and lower jaw and are also used for speech.   These muscles only move the lower jaw, while the upper jaw forms part of the skull.

Photographers in England devised a clever way to get their models to smile?  They discovered that saying the word “cheese” automatically causes the mouth to form a perfect smile.  French photographers found instead that a certain mental image would always trigger a smile, and thus coined the phrase "petit pomme," or small potato.