There she is, across the crowded room. She is a vision, the girl of your dreams. She gives you the eye as you walk closer. Her eyes are a beautiful sky blue and her hair is perfection. You reach out your hand to introduce yourself. She could be the one. You picture your future children but more importantly you picture how jealous your buddies will be when they see her with you. Then she smiles and suddenly your perfect girl is not so perfect. We see them everywhere, on television, in movie theatres, and on the cover of magazines. That’s right, I’m talking about a shiny white smile. All the actors have perfect smiles. Of course most celebrities have spent many years and thousands of dollars to get those incredible smiles because they know that a white smile can make or break a career and even a relationship. But anyone can have a great set of teeth at a fraction of the cost celebrities spend. Everyone would love to have great smiles like their favorite actor. However not everyone is born with wonderful smiles and strong healthy teeth. There are millions of Americans without health insurance let alone dental coverage. Millions of Americans simply cannot afford insurance. It comes down to, do we buy food or insurance. Do we pay the electric bill or get insurance. This should not be the case. Dental and medical insurance should be affordable, even for the working poor. Even without dental coverage there are things everyone can do regularly. While searching for that perfect smile. Obviously the most important thing is to brush 2 or 3 times a day, preferably after every meal. Flossing everyday is also a good, inexpensive way to keep your teeth and gums healthy. If you have healthy white teeth you just feel better about yourself. It gives you a level of self-confidence that you will have for as long as you take care of them. There is nothing better in your everyday life than having self-esteem. Having this high level of confidence will help you in your career and your personal relationships. Think about the first time you see someone of the opposite sex whom you are attracted to. One of the first things you notice is their smile; well, hopefully they are smiling at you. Walking around town everyday we notice people with nice teeth. They don’t put their hand up to their face when they laugh. They aren’t going out of their way to cover their teeth with their mouths. They are generally more outgoing than people with poor teeth. So just remember, rich or poor, working or not, there is no better gift you can give yourself than healthy teeth for your whole life. Even if you have to put away a dollar a week until you can afford to see a dentist, you should do it. Then when you see the woman of your dreams you will be able charm her with your perfect smile. And until that day comes, keep on brushing and flossing.