The Sexy Smile

Nikki Taylor's got it!!!! Claudia Schiffer does too!! And so do Whitney, Julia, and Christie. Everyone wants a sexy smile - and now everyone can have it.

On a conscious level we probably don't even realize what makes a smile sexy. All of them begin with healthy-looking teeth. But not all are the same. What is sexy changes with the styles and depends on the taste of the viewer. Here are the defining characteristics of some of the sexiest smiles around.

1. Dazzling big white teeth (Christie Brinkley)
2. A wide full arch (Whitney Houston)
3. Upper two front teeth longer than the others (Claudia Schiffer)
4. Slight imperfection in the position of the teeth (Nikki Taylor)
5. Teeth that look healthy (Heather Locklear)
6. Teeth that support a pouty lip (Kim Bassinger)

The emphasis on youth is omnipresent. A generation of baby-boomers, now turning 50, is doing whatever possible to combat aging. Fortunately, with plastic surgery, cosmetology, and cosmetic dentistry, few of us will ever have to look as old as we actually are. Cosmetic dentistry can be a great help in keeping a youthful smile that keeps your face appearing younger.

In the aging face, the smile is reversed, to show less of the upper teeth and more of the lower teeth. That is because both lips lose muscle tone and begin to sag, covering more of the upper teeth and less of the lower teeth in the process. At the same time, as we age we tend to wear away the enamel of the teeth along the biting edges, causing all the front teeth to become the same length.

Also, teeth become darker as we age. Eating abrasive foods, brushing teeth and natural wear and tear cause a reduction in the thickness of enamel, allowing more of the secondary layer of tooth structure, dentin, to show through the enamel. Dentin, which is normally yellow with tones of brown and gray, becomes even more discolored with aging due to the calcification of the tubules that make up the dentin layer.

The good news is that today's cosmetic dental techniques can rejuvenate the aging smile. The upper teeth can be lengthened with bonding or laminate veneers, giving the lip greater support and filling out lip lines and cheeks that have collapsed. The lower teeth can be contoured to make them appear shorter and more delicate. And of course, we can lighten the color by bleaching, bonding or veneering the teeth.

Many people have had facelifts and other corrective facial surgery to help them look younger. But if the smile that goes with a rejuvenated face reveals discolored, crooked, chipped or fractured teeth, the youthfulness created by the plastic surgeon will be lost. A well-maintained smile is a necessary part of a better, younger look.