Oh, great… another thing to obsess over…
April 6, 2008 by angelique
Filed under Women's Health
We people who tend toward eating disorders are great at obsessing over something; really, we excel when it comes to focusing on one thing almost 100% of the time. So when the media started their relatively new marketing of “white” teeth, I’m sure ED folks (as well as other persons, of course) jumped on the bandwagon.
I know I did.
Honestly, about five or six years ago, I never worried about my teeth “yellowing”. I just figured it was normal aging. No biggie, right? Honestly, my expanding thighs and butt were more of a worry than the color of my teeth.
Not anymore. Now, I’m just as obsessed about why my teeth don’t look “fresher” and younger as I am about the inches I continue to gain around my hips.
Unfortunately, Crest Whitestrips (the undisputed King of the tooth whitening industry) make my sensitive gums ache. And other brands I’ve tried just aren’t as good. Listerine Quick Dissolving tooth whitening strips actually taste awesome, but they don’t do jack as far as making my smile gleam across the room. (They are a good breath freshener, I must say.)
I suppose my next course of action will be to try something else — maybe a laser treatment through a dentist’s office? However, such follies can cost a pretty penny and won’t necessarily make a difference in the long run. (All those cups of morning coffee and afternoon diet sodas are bound to catch up with me.)
Although I’m freely blogging about this topic, I’m sincerely embarrassed about this new obsession. In fact, I feel a little bit ashamed. Why should I care if my teeth are “off-white” (creamy? eggshell?) rather than kill-your-eyes bright? There are certainly more important worries in my world.
But alas, I do think of the shade of my teeth at least a few times a day. I think I have become One Of Them.
