Is It Time To Be An Optimist?

It is never easy to be a kid or a teenager. I remember my time there - I had lots of fun, but growing up is a challenge. When I grew up in the seventies, there were lots of challenges in the world apart form my own personal life - the economy, oil prices and shortages, pollution worries - you name it, we had it. It was actually a lot like today.

When I was in my teens, I really didn't think I would ever own a car. If I was lucky, maybe a small electric golf cart - those were the pessimistic ideas circulating around that time. It was not just me. Well it turned out not to be so. I think the world is much better now than it was then.

I bring this up because I came across an excellent post:


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-ridley/down-with-doom-how-the-wo_b_630792.html

The author is Matt Ridley who also wrote a great book called The Rational Optimist. Optimism is good for you - it supports your life and your health. It encourages more smiling - all good.

http://www.rationaloptimist.com/

I ran into a great example of why we should be optimistic. They are testing a new roadway paving stone that removes harmful pollution from the air. Now that is very cool. In orthodontics I have seen how much technology is helping us to help people and I know that every business and every technology is making progress. Very cool.


http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/07/07/road-surface-purifies-air-by-removing-nitrogen-oxides-nox/#more-21558

We will always have challenges - the Gulf oil leak is tragic. People and wildlife are suffering and we have to develop better technology. I am confident we are and we will. So my last word is to young people - my children, my young patients and everyone else. Lets be optimistic as we work toward making the world a better place. The future belongs to the optimists.

Beauty Smile Trainer

Here is something I ran across when I was Googling "smiles" and such. I am always curious what is out there on the web and I thought this was interesting. It appears to be a jelly rubber tube that you place behind your upper lip above your teeth. I am guessing that it is designed to "raise the curtain" of your upper lip to show off your smile more. I could not find a website directly for this and I suspect that it is a Japanese site. Beyond some French, I only speak English - too bad. Japanese is definitely a language I would like to know.

This gadget could help your smile - at least when you wear it. It could help to show off your smile and your upper teeth, for some people, depending on the position of their teeth and upper lip. It could also look a bit weird - you're on your own with it.

It's actually a clever device. I am not sure how well it would work, how natural it would look and how comfortable it would be. But the idea behind it makes sense. I have the same goals in orthodontic treatment.

Number 1 of course - we want to straighten and even out your teeth. But number 2 is just as important. We want to position your upper teeth and your smile so that you have a wide natural smile that supports your upper lip. This kind of smile looks younger, longer.

That is our goal for you and that is why I only use Damon braces. Nothing helps me more to achieve that broad beaming smile than the Damon braces I have been using for the past 6 years. Beauty Smile Trainer or Damon braces for that full gorgeous smile? I have no experience with the Beauty Smile Trainer, but with Damon braces, I have lots.

In the meantime, things like this make me want to visit Japan even more. I would be in gadget heaven.