Is Your Smile on the A-List or D-List?

On 12.09.09, In News,
by Catrise
Austin

Have you been thinking about changing your smile for a while and just haven’t
had the guts to take that step? Perhaps you’ve been a bit nervous about making
the change. Maybe you’re a bit apprehensive about coming to the dentist and your
fears are keeping you from making a change. Maybe you want to make a change and
just don’t know what options are available to help improve your smile. Or maybe,
just maybe you need a smile makeover and don’t even know it!

 

My New Book

 

Well I’m here to help. I’m Dr. Catrise Austin, “Dentist to the Stars” and
author of a new book called “5 Steps to the Hollywood A-List Smile: How the
stars get that perfect smile and how you can too!” I wrote this book for those
of you who may feel like it’s finally time to address your smile needs and are
ready to take the journey to achieving a new smile and a new you.

 

My Personal Story

 

If you feel like you’re alone, don’t worry because I’ve been there. What
started out as a routine visit to the dentist for me at the age of 15 literally
changed my life and my future. You see, growing up, I never felt confident about
my teeth. I never liked the look of my smile. I thought that I would be stuck
forever, hiding behind a smile that didn’t make me feel pretty or confident. I
thought that I was simply going to have to live life with the smile that I was
given.

 

However, during a routine dental visit, my dentist urged my mom to invest in
those ugly metal braces for me. As ugly as they were back then, I was so
excited. I wore braces for a year and when the braces came off, I felt like Miss
America or America’s Next Top Model or something! Changing my smile literally
changed my life forever. My dental experience even led me to become a dentist to
help you. I was lucky because after being teased all of my life, I knew that I
needed a change. But some of you may not be so sure. How do you know if your
smile is on the A-List or D-List? The first step in my book “5 Steps to the
Hollywood A-List Smile” is to assess your smile.

 

Should you alter your smile?

 

Many of my patients are surprised at how much work is involved in making the
decision to alter their smile. But I don’t want anyone making hasty decisions; I
tell everyone that is considering a change that it’s important to come face-to
face with their smile, find out their needs, and then discover how these needs
relate to what might work– or not work – for them. So in my book, I take you
through several exercises to help you decide if a change is needed. Today I’m
going to share a few of these exercises with you.

The Mirror Test

 

The first test is called “The Mirror Test”. The purpose of this test is to
see for yourself exactly what your smile looks like; this way you can begin to
rate it more accurately and be better prepared to face what’s going to be needed
to make the change in your smile.

 

Here are the five steps to The Mirror Test:

 

1) Look in the mirror: Seems like a no-brainer, sure, but
have you ever really looked into the mirror? Sure, we glance at it from time to
time throughout the day, usually as we pass by,
but it’s the rare person
indeed who actually looks deep into the mirror and sticks around for what comes
next. Even when we comb our hair or apply our makeup or fix our ties, we are
often
merely spot-checking a very specific area of our head, face or neck; we
don’t really soak in the whole picture. So the first step of The Mirror Test is
to stand in front of a well-lighted mirror
and look, really look, at
yourself.

 

2) Smile: Okay, now look at yourself and – smile. That’s it;
just smile. Smile like you normally would; not too wide, not too thin. Smile
like you mean it, hold it and look at it. That’s all; just smile.

 

3) Close your eyes: Now close your eyes; that’s right –
smile and then close your eyes. Think about what you just saw; think about your
smile.

 

4) Smile again: Now open your eyes and smile again. Repeat
Step 2, from above, and this time really, really concentrate on not just how
your smile looks but how it makes you feel. Check
your gut reaction to tell
whether you are pleased, disappointed, shocked, relieved – or a combination of
all four.

 

5) Write down your first impression: Be quick, be bold, be
brave and, most of all, be HONEST.

 

Now the next step is to gauge your current smile by using the “Hollywood
Smile Quiz” that can be found in my book or you can jump right to the good part
and rate your smile using my Hollywood Ratings System. Hollywood is a place
where everybody wants to be ranked on a list of some sort be it, “Best-Dressed”,
“World’s Sexiest”, or “Most Powerful”. But what if you could rate your smile?
Well now you can by using my simple Hollywood Ratings System. While looking in
the mirror still, try ranking your smile.

 

Which List Are You On?

 

Here are the 4 ratings—A-List, B-List, C-List, or D-List.

 

The “A-List” Smile (4 Stars – ****): People with A-List
smiles know it – and are not afraid to share with the world how confident and
beautiful they feel. It’s the smile worthy of the red carpet; this smile is
marked by a wide range of positive characteristics, including:

 

• No visible cavities or fillings
• Clean teeth (no evidence of plaque or
tartar)
• Straight teeth
• Teeth in proportion to your mouth (not too big
or too small; not too short or too long)
• Healthy gums (pink in color)
•

White teeth with lack of discoloration (yellow, brown, gray or black)
•
Fresh, pleasant breath
• Even, uniform and proportioned gum line and not “too
gummy”

 

The “B-List” Smile (3 Stars – ***): The B-List Smile has the
same basic characteristics as the A-List Smile, only certain changes are
starting to develop causing it to lose some of its natural luster and shape.
These include:

 

• Moderately clean teeth (slightly visible evidence of bacterial plaque or
tartar)
• Mild yellowing (or other discoloration of teeth, such as brown,
gray or black)
• Mild rotations, spaces or other misalignments
• Hesitance
or reluctance to smile
• Minor flaws (chips; worn enamel)
• No visible
cavities or fillings
• Fresh, pleasant breath

 

The “C-List” Smile (2 Stars – **): Signs of the C-List Smile
include:

 

• Visible cavities (brown or black spots/discolorations)
• Visible old
fillings or crowns
• Moderate buildup of plaque and tartar that is visible
when you smile
• Moderate yellowing or other discolorations (brown, grey or
black)
• Moderate flaws in alignments (moderately crooked; moderate spacing
or gaps)
• More noticeable flaws (sizable chips, moderately worn enamel)
•
Red, swollen gums
• An uneven gum line (or a “gummy” smile)

 

The “D-List” Smile (1 Star – *):

 

• Obvious neglect due to infrequent dental visits, accompanied by very little
to no smiling
• Large, noticeable cavities
• Visible old fillings or
crowns
• Severe tartar buildup that is noticeably visible
• Severe
yellowing or other discoloration
• Severe flaws in alignment
• Red,
swollen gums
• Loose teeth
• Uneven gum line
• Accompanied by bad
breath from lack of dental care

 

How did you do

 

So, how did you do? A-List, B-List, C-List or D-List Smile? Congratulations
if your smile made the A-List! If you rated yourself and came up short of your
expectations don’t worry; there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. All you have
to do now is figure out what you want out of your smile and go for it! Maybe
you’re a businessman who realizes his current smile is affecting sales (and not
in a good way). Perhaps you’re a student who sits in the back of the class and
covers her face when she is called upon because you’re so insecure about your
smile. Maybe you’re an actor, singer, or model who wants to complete your look
and impress the masses with that A-List Smile. Maybe you’re a busy mom or
housewife who simply needs a new and exciting reason to smile. With this
information you can change your world forever.

 

Maintenance or Makeover

 

Perhaps this process helped you realize that it won’t take that much to get
that A-List Smile; on the contrary perhaps you came to the realization that it’s
going to be harder than you thought. Either way, now you KNOW; and knowledge is
power. It’s up to you now to decide if your smile just needs basic maintenance
or a makeover. All that I ask of you is to simply take charge of your dental
health and the appearance of your smile today. If you’ve been guilty of putting
off your next dental exam and professional cleaning, or addressing the
appearance of your smile for whatever reasons, consider visiting your dentist to
maintain a healthy and dazzling smile. For more smile tips, options for
enhancing your smile, and for your VIP pass to dental resources, pick up my new
book or click to order “5 Steps to the Hollywood A-List Smile: How the stars get
that perfect smile and how you can too!” today.

 

About the Author:

 

Dr. Catrise Austin owes her A-List career to a love of belly laughs. As a new
dentist, Dr. Austin enjoyed many nights at the comedy clubs of New York City
where she met up and coming comedians such as Chris Rock, Tracey Morgan, Mike
Epps, and Dave Chappelle. Before you could say, “Brush after every meal” Dr.
Austin was known as the “Dentist to the Stars”.

 

But Dr. Austin, who originally became a dentist because of how she felt as a
young girl with a less-than-perfect smile, knew that great smiles weren’t just
for Hollywood. So she wrote 5 Steps to the Hollywood A-List Smile (Dr. Austin’s Website ) a primer of everything you
need to know about having a great smile including:

 

- Rating your smile
- Dictionary of dental services
- Finding
affordable dental services
- Steps you can take at home to create a great
smile

 

Win a copy of: 5 Steps to the Hollywood A-List Smile

 

Dr. Austin graciously provided a copy of her new book for one lucky Dental
Heroes reader! To win a copy, simply follow Dental Heroes on Twitter
and tweet the following message to your list: “Win a Copy of Dr. Catrise
Austin’s new book, “5 Steps to the Hollywood A-List Smile,” on the Dental Heroes
Blog. http://bit.ly/4Mvb2X