Cosmetic Dentistry Dos: Tip-of-the-Day #212


TEETH NEED SOME WORK? SKIP CAPS, TRY BONDING.

About five years ago I was ready to address the spaces between my front teeth that had slowly reemerged after years of braces as a youth. According to my dentist, my "tongue thrust" (not hot, but something I do with my tongue and my teeth while I sleep) was the culprit for the wandering teeth. I explored my options and quickly learned that most were VERY expensive. Cosmetic dentistry is generally not covered by insurance and the out of pocket is a killer. And so, I went the route of the "quick fix" and opted for bonding. Bonding is a technique used to fix broken teeth, discolored teeth, spaces between teeth, etc. The only hitch is that it is temporary. Well, temporary means different things for different people. Jump ahead five years, and my bonding is still in place. Better yet, my insurance covered the cost of the bonding as a preventive measure to avoid tooth decay (more cavities can occur when there is space between teeth because there are more areas of a tooth exposed). Just sayin, before laying down the big bucks for a big tooth job, consider a "temporary" fix first and you just might be surprised by the results.

Cash in on Crab Feeds: Tip-of-the-Day #211


CRAB FEEDS ARE DESIGNED FOR ONE THING: MONEY MAKING

Well into crab season now, you may be considering attending a local "crab feed." These are generally designed with the intent to "lure" as many attendees as possible (at anywhere from $30 to $50 a head) with the promise of "all you can eat" crab. The general goal on the part of the host is to fill people up on bread and pasta so that by the time the crab appears, everyone is too full to indulge in the one costly item on the menu!

Crab lovers listen up. To get the most out of any crab feed this crab season, stick to the following tips:

1. Don't eat any bread - even if it's coated in butter and garlic and you're REALLY hungry.
2. Skip the pasta course (again, even if it smells really good and you've been fasting all day in anticipation of this meal).
3. Ask the food server to bring the crab out early. Most crab feeds are "all you can eat" so get your bib on and start eating!
4. Don't drink too much alcohol too fast - you'll get too drunk to eat the costly, tender meat of the sea...

Stick to these simple rules and you'll definitely get the most bang for your buck at your next crab buffet! Ole!