Lifestyle Choices

You should visit your dentist at least once a year (more often if it’s suggested) to check for cavities and to have your teeth professionally cleaned.

If you wear braces or a retainer, your teeth require special orthodontic care. Many young girls hate their braces, but what’s a few months, or even a year or two, of mild discomfort for a lifetime’s worth of beautiful, healthy smiles? Remember, orthodontia is more thy n simply cosmetic; it’s a real health plus, too, insuring that your teeth are aligned correctly and performing their proper function. Result: stronger, healthier teeth and gums and, as you get older, fewer teeth lost and bridges.

Be sure to keep to a routine of good oral hygiene to minimize problems and keep teeth pearly white. Brush your teeth regularly, particularly after meals or sweets. Ask your dentist to demonstrate correct brushing techniques if you don’t already know them. To whiten teeth and remove surface stains, try wetting a little baking soda in your hand to make a paste, then brushing with it. It will freshen your breath too.

Make sure your toothbrush is in good condition. If the bristles have splayed from their original vertical arrangement, your toothbrush is probably not removing plaque as it should. According to the American Dental Association, you should buy a new toothbrush about four times a year (one for each season!). Look for a brush with soft, polished or round-edged bristles and a size and shape convenient for you to wield.

Bad breath may be a sign of trapped or decaying food, a gum disease, or a digestive problem. Make sure you brush and floss well, paying attention to tongue and inside of mouth, which can harbor bacteria. Mouthwash is a bad-breath chaser, but think of it as only a temporary measure; it can’t replace systematic brushing and flossing. Antiplaque mouthwashes reduce plaque build-up and keep the breath fresher. Also breath sprays (great for your purse) and sugarless breath candies, mints, or chewing gums.

Cosmetic Surgery

Even the most attractive teens can feel unhappy about the way they look. Insecurity and the desire to transform one’s appearance seem built into this time of life.

“I hate my nose!” wails Kitty, an adorable high school sophomore. “My ears are just so big!” laments her best friend Diane. Noses, ears, chins can be the subject of much teenage heartache. Some girls learn clever camouflaging techniques with makeup and hair, while others learn to highlight their best features rather than dwelling on the worst. Some even go so far as to consider cosmetic surgery.

Certainly science has come a long way in this area, and whole parts of the face and body can be refashioned. However, despite the improved technology, and aside from extreme instances that warrant such an alternative (deformity, accident), most girls should think twice—if not three or four times—before embarking upon such radical action. Cosmetic surgery is highly expensive and is rarely covered by any form of health insurance. Like all surgery, it carries some real risks with it. Moreover, it can have both physical and psychological implications of which many girls are unaware. Recovery from a nose job, for example, may be long and painful. The eyes, and even the entire face, may become swollen or discolored; bruises can appear as far down as the chest. And while it is very common for a young girl to blame all of her shyness, insecurity, and unhappiness on this or that aspect of her appearance, in reality the altering of that feature will not significantly change her life or her feelings about herself.

Clearly, any good doctor recognizes this, and few will operate before a girl is at the very least sixteen or seventeen. If you are considering any form of cosmetic surgery, you should ask yourself these questions:

• Why am I doing this?
• What do I hope the result will be?
• Do I feel that I will be magically changed by this operation? Is there any other way I could deal with my dissatisfaction?
• The answers may not come easily, but they are worth struggling with before you contemplate more serious action.

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