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)!
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No. 1: Bridgeport, Conn.
It seems there's not a less-than-perfect smile in all of Bridgeport. The city is one of the least-smoky cities in the country and the state ranks no. 5 in dentists per capita and no. 1 in dentist visits. Clearly residents put a high priority on healthy teeth. They also have the lowest rate of teeth loss (coming in at no. 52) and rank no. 3 in fruit and vegetable consumption -- which we know contributes to overall health, including teeth and gums. It's a good bet that Bridgeport residents have no problems saying "cheese" for the camera!
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.
