I consider myself a fairly ordinary person, but for as long as I can remember, my smile has always been something I'm the most proud of. When I was little, my dad would tell me how "beautiful" my teeth were, and that's high praise since he used to be a dentist! My classmates tell me my teeth are always shining, and even my friend James agrees.

Of course, I'm glad that I keep my teeth nice, white and clean, but sometimes I wish people weren't so superficial, you know? Growing up, my father never stopped lecturing me about keeping my teeth straight and neat. "Stop biting your thumb, Mel," he'd say, "Or you'll end up with an overbite! Don't you know it'll look ugly on your pictures?" And he'd go on to talk about how a less attractive face would make people think less of my personality, and a lesser personality would make my peers interact less with me, and social rejection would make me less likely to find a job...

But I've always thought that it doesn't have to be like that...because why does everyone judge each other on how we look? And who's to say that crooked teeth can't be beautiful? In Japan, protruding canines known as "yaeba" are considered cute; In medieval England, a gapped tooth was seen as a sign of youthfulness; In some parts of Asia, blackened teeth were the epitome of beauty. Who's to say that "beauty" has only one definition??

Anyways, I'm fortunate to live in a time where judging others based on appearance is becoming less emphasized. After all, inner beauty and kind words are more important (though a good smile helps too)! Imagine a world where your own value was judged by what's in your mouth rather than what comes out of it. Enforcing a single standard of beauty...that's a scary thought, isn't it?

Anyways, to celebrate the diversity of beauty standards in locations around the world, here's a puzzle all about teeth habits!

1. Teeth were so valued that some would rather die of untreated cavities than lose a tooth.
2. Blackened teeth or "ohaguro" was seen as a sign of maturity for women.
3. Teeth were often omitted from 15th century paintings here, with mouths being closed or depicted as empty caverns.
4. Ivory plates fitted with human teeth were popular here, especially among nobles who had missing teeth.
5. Vulcanization of rubber was invented here, and rubber dentures soon became popular.
6. Teeth were modified and embellished with precious stones in the ancient cultures here.