"Celebration of the smile"

April is Dental Health Month--a month especially set aside to alert Canadians that Dental Health is indeed a major ingredient of the total quality of life. This year, the campaign's primary focus will not be mastication, function, freedom from disease or pain, but "Celebration of the Smile." A Smile is infectious, it's contagious, and one of the world's greatest bargains. The returns are immeasurable. When truly genuine and freely given, the Smile elicits almost instant trust and friendship. No frown can ever do that! And it takes so very little effort and energy. We are not sure what anatomist conducted the research but it is reported that three times more muscles are required to frown than to Smile! Dentists everywhere can take much pride in their contribution to enhancing one of Nature's most precious commodities--the Smile. What a long road it has been from the primitive attempts of just a hundred years ago when alleviating pain was the priority and any crude attempt to enhance appearance was secondary. Only 25 years ago silicate cement was often the only material available for anterior teeth. Far, far too many beautiful Smiles were marred with dark halos around poor fillings and recurrent decay. Missing teeth were commonplace; there were gaps, spaces and "flipper dentures." It's hard to believe how rapidly we have advanced in so short a time. Taken for granted today are caries-free mouths, composite filling materials that defy detection, bonded porcelain veneers and fixed prostheses that can even improve where Nature has "faltered."(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)