When I was a teenager, I complained to my dentist that my teeth were not white. He produced a kind of wheel on which were mounted fake teeth, in different shades of off-white. He pointed out that my teeth were on the upper end and that, basically, teeth were not white.
For me, then, it was good enough - my teeth had passed.
Then something changed. Or: The culture changed. Now the dentists are in cohouts with the chemical industry to give you white teeth - really white teeth. I think it started with cartoon-like advertisements that showed people with white teeth - as white as the paper on which they were printed. With a little star that connoted sparkle: Brilliant white teeth.
Nowadays people use harsh chemicals and destroy the beautiful, precious enamel of their teeth, surely shortening their teeth's lifespan. For sparkling white teeth! It comes from the same corner as no-underarm-hair, vaginas that smell like lily-of-the-valley, shaved legs, nude pubic areas, and mouthwashs.
None of them are essential for health. But if you don't espouse them, you feel backward, not groomed right and insecure. And that seems to be the point: To keep us self-doubting and embarrassed about our bodies. And as long as we are busy with our personal shame and inadequacies, we don't care much that the world goes to shambles, or that our neighbor is sad, or the kid down the block looks forlorn.
And that seems to be the purpose., Read More
Blog: On Health. On Writing. On Life. On Everything.
White Teeth
February 9, 2013
Tags:
order, advertisements, backward, Body, chemical industry, chemicals, Culture, dental, dentist, embarrassed, enamel, grooming, health, inadequacy, insecurity, lily-of-the-valley, mouthwash, pubic hair, self-doubt, shame, shaved legs, teenager, teeth whitener, underarm hair, vagina, teeth, white teeth
2 Comments
Comments
Mar 23, 2013 8:55 AM EDT
Dear Alexa: Hi! you look hot in your 2012 photo here goes as a lomg time health conscience person I came across your comment's on milk on a websight I think the price foundation you have totally forgot or gotten away from the true God the God of Abraham Issac and Jacob the secret to eating right is the "BIBLE" it's ones anchor to cut through all the false info etc! if you want to look good it's all about eating right [Dan 1] all use the [niv] bible as for milk think about this it's so important it's one of the 4 food groups whole milk is tremendous for the body of course without hormones etc which most super market's have calcium is by far the most abundant mineral in the body and the best way is to eat from the whole dairy food group , think about this God inspired us to understand their's 4 food groups why would 1 be no good the " dairy" it makes no sense ! , why would milk be so bad after it's so essential to life as an infant? don't believe the modern nonsense falsley called knowledge !1 Tim 6:20 the bible is big on milk Ex 3:8 Isa 55:1 as well as wine and grains Zech 9:17 I tell you the truth it's the secret to health and looking good as for anyone's teeth not looking white here's why teeth are considered bone to or part of the skeletal system and when you don't eat from the dairy group and get enough calcium the larger system the skeletal system leeches calcium from the teeth the smaller skeletal system that's why teeth are yellow no matter how much or hard one brushes I hpe you take the above to heart and even get o your knees and pray about it Dan 6:10 and ask God to show you or open your mind to what im saying I allso will spend time on my knees praying for you and hopefully you might start looking to scripture for guidance like I try to do you will be amazed and trasformed for truly the" Bible is the Foundation of Nutrition" Sincerely Bill
- Bill Pickersgill
Mar 23, 2013 11:47 AM EDT
Dear Bill Pickersgill, Religion has lost me long time ago, and as long as there are still wars and suppression and hate in the name of God, I will stay away. Exactly because we are no infants anymore, that's why we don't need milk. Anyway, the best for you, and thank you for praying for me.
- Alexa Fleckenstein