By "diet," we mean deliberate ploy to restrict amount or kind of foods you're allowed to eat for mission of losing weight. Though we certainly do endorse consuming a wide variety of healthful foods and thinking twice before eating a lot of foods that are high in calories but low in nutrition, we don't recommend following any kind of plan that tells you what, how much, and how often you should eat, without regard for your body's hunger and satiety signals.

The Psychological and Mental Effects of Dieting

Even if you weren't particularly concerned about food prior to dieting, all of a sudden you become obsessed with it. You’ll find yourself preoccupied with thoughts about what you'll be having for your next meal; whether you can have some chips, what others are eating, or even what you'll allow yourself to eat tomorrow.

“And don’t we all identify in some way with those people making big changes—on shows like “The Swan” and “Extreme Makeover”—even those getting new smiles?” says Dr. Bernard Lynch, at Washington Center for Dentistry, in Washington, DC.

No wonder we need to boost our dental vocabulary, especially if we’re thinking about delving into some smile improvement ourselves. So, here’s a quick review:

“The Crown.” Sometimes a front tooth is out of line, too short, too wide, too narrow or hopelessly too gray, too yellow or too brown.

“One solution is to pare down unfavorable tooth and then cover it with a crown or cap,” says Dr. Marc Doctors, also of Washington Center for Dentistry. The new porcelain tooth fits perfectly over minimized tooth, providing a sparkling, whiter, straighter version of its former self.