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!
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No. 4: San Francisco, Calif.
San Francisco ranks no. 7 among the least smoky cities, which is good news for residents' gums (the high humidity certainly helps them as well). The state also ranks no. 50 in loss of teeth (no. 1 is the worst) and no. 8 in dentists per capita. This plus their ranking as no. 2 least cola consumption in 2008 more than makes up for their ranking as the no. 3 most coffee consumption (just don't forget to rinse after that cup of Joe).
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No. 3: Bethesda, Md.
Bethesda is practically perfect in every healthy-teeth way: it ranks no. 7 in dentists per capita, no. 7 in fruit and vegetable consumption, no. 9 in dentist visits and no. 43 in teeth lost (no. 1 is the worst). If that's not enough, it's also the no. 2 least smoky city. This means residents should have healthy gums and stain-free smiles.
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No. 2: Boston, Mass.
Despite Boston's high coffee consumption, it is still a strong contender for best-smile city. It ranks no. 4 in least cola consumption, no. 3 in both dentists per capita and dentist visits, plus it's no. 6 in fruit and vegetable consumption and no. 45 in loss of teeth (no. 1 is the worst). But wait, there's more! It also has average humidity (so no dry mouths), and the state ranks no. 46 in amount of smokers (no. 1 having the most smokers)!
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.
