Burlington has a few key factors working in its favor: it ranks no. 8 in smoke-free metro areas, plus it's no. 2 in fruit and vegetable consumption (and crunchy veggies can help clear plaque), no. 4 overall healthiest city, and no. 5 in most exercise. That plus their ranking of no. 14 in dentists per capita means there are a lot of healthy mouths in Burlington.
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No. 8: Seattle, Wash.
Luckily Seattle only has two strikes against it: it's the city with the most coffee consumption (but as the birthplace of Starbucks, is anyone surprised?) and it's average in dentist visits, ranking no. 25. However, there are more than enough plusses to make up for those. The state ranks no. 10 in dentists per capita and no. 46 in teeth loss (no. 1 is the worst/most teeth lost). Plus it has very few smokers and is the no. 8 fittest city. Not to mention it has one of the lowest cola consumptions in the country (which sort of balances out the coffee).
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No. 7: Newark, N.J.
New Jersey residents are taking very good care of their teeth. They rank no. 2 in dentists per capita, no. 10 in dentist visits, and no. 40 in loss of teeth. That plus their low smoking rates (the state ranks no. 44 in number of smokers, with no. 1 having the most smokers) and average humidity should keep their smiles looking great.
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No. 6: Provo, Utah
Provo residents know that smoking leads to a lack-luster smile (among other things), that's why the city is the least smoky place in the country! That plus the state's ranking of no. 51 in teeth loss (with no. 1 being the worst/most teeth lost) and Provo being the no. 2 city in terms of exercise bodes well for their smiles.
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No. 5: New York, N.Y.
Despite New York being one of the least fit cities (according to Men's Fitness Magazine), it still has a lot of healthy-teeth habits. New York ranks no. 6 in dentists per capita and no. 41 in teeth loss (with no. 1 being the worst). The city also ranked no. 2 in least coffee consumption and no. 1 in least cola consumption in 2007. So while they may not be exercising much, it stands to reason that New Yorkers' teeth are stain-free!
Getting and keeping a beautiful smile can take work, but the people in these cities have no problem with that. So what does it take? According to Irwin Smigel, DDS., founder and president of the American Society for Dental Aesthetics (ASDA) and creator of Supersmile, there are a few key factors: Regular dentist visits, not smoking, keeping your soda, wine and coffee intake to a minimum, overall health, living in a humid enough climate (so your mouth doesn't dry out and allow bacteria to flourish), and brushing and flossing regularly (of course). All of these cities excel in these categories, so if you visit, prepare to be blinded by bright smiles.
