As I was about to hit the snooze button to get another ten minutes of sleep, I heard a segment on NPR about how our smile changes as we get older. I turned up the volume to hear the statistics, which indicate that with each decade that passes our smile reveals more lower teeth, and less upper. It explained that the upper lip lengthens as we age, and gravity then draws it down (not unlike its impact on the rest of the body). Studies also show that aging adults with straighter, broader and fuller smiles are perceived to be more youthful. This is something our practice has been mindful of since the early 1980s, when we initiated our “Early Interceptive — Phase 1” treatment protocol. Working with children at an early age (5—10), using expanders and a variety of other effective growth appliances have enabled us to avoid unnecessary extractions of healthy permanent teeth, and most importantly, produce fuller, broader more attractive smiles for our children. These smiles will be attractive for a lifetime. By the way, it’s not too late for moms and dads to make their smiles more youthful. As NPR noted, lower front teeth become more noticeable with age. Invisalign helps adults achieve the straight teeth they’ve always wanted, without the need for braces. Now if only there was something as simple for the rest of our bodies...