And Remember to Brush and Floss Your Teeth

So says the voicemail message of an old roommate. I'm sure she's changed it by now. But I always remember kind've giving a mental chuckle when I heard it. And yet, brushing and flossing is good advice. Scratch that. It's GREAT advice. How embarassing when you give a big ol' smile, get flirty, and then realize hours later that you had something in your teeth.

There are two simple solutions to this. One, never eat anything that gets caught in your front teeth (theoretically, you probably don't want it in your back teeth either, but since no one usually sees those, if you must let go...let go of a molar). The second, bring a toothbrush and floss with you. I prefer a combination of the two. When I eat what I want, I have a mini toothbrush and floss in a small sandwich bag in my purse. (Incidentally, I also have mouthwash but as the bottle is so small, I use it rarely. It's the thought of refilling that gets me. And true, I could simply buy another one, but that requires putting potentially hundreds of small mouthwash bottles in a landfill. Yes, it's a small bit of ridiculousness. Let me have it.) When I eat in front of people who can affect my future, I choose food carefully. It seems like we should all be past a bit of spinach in the left incisor as we have, after all, been eating since someone realized the slab of sabertooth tasted better with bbq sauce, but then again, people used to try to whiten their eyes with small doses of acid so I'm thinking we haven't really advanced beyond judging by looks.

But back to smiling and clean teeth...

I tried it. The smiling I mean. The food in the teeth I did plenty back in highschool when my teeth were embraced in the warm cuddly hug of sharp metal and colored plastic bands (and, of course, headgear--ah, earplug manufacturing company execs all over the world must have rubbed their hands in glee thinking of how much headgear increased snoring). So yes, I smiled at a random stranger the other day (a guy). Strangely, he smiled back like I was a goddess or something. I was so surprised that I didn't even hear what he had to say. Then I had to quickly pretend I had so I didn't look like an idiot. (He had complimented my earrings, I realized belatedly.) I also almost ran into a door my boss was opening. Dangerous things these smiles. But definitely worth it.

More smiles and more stories to come...