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I was reading Vogue the other day, and I read the funniest metaphor I've heard in a long time. The article was about teeth, and how chemical whitening treatments may be damaging how we are able to detect oncoming health problems. Apparently the mouth is the window to a lot of other problems. It can signal heart disease and other more serious things. People's obsession with simply whitening teeth, and not caring for overall dental health can make them more at risk for mouth diseases that impact other body systems.

The whitening treatments can mask bigger issues that yellowing teeth might otherwise indicate. I had no idea that the health of your mouth and teeth were such an indicator of your body's overall functioning. Or, as Vogue put it, your gums are like a turtleneck that keep your teeth warm and safe from outside invaders, but when we let our mouth health slide they become like a loose cowl neck that is susceptible to letting germs and other nasties sneak into our bloodstream, body, and bone structure.

Talk about putting things into terms a fashionista can understand. It really gets the message across though. Even though cowl necks are super stylish right now, I wouldn't want them in charge of protecting my body from the cold or any other threat. So needless to say, I will be brushing and flossing a little more carefully this year. And I am even more thrilled with my new year's resolution to floss everyday!