How Well Do You Know Your Olympic Smile Facts?
Posted on June 30, 2016 in Just for Kicks
Is your smile ready for another epic Summer Olympics? To amp up your excitement, we're looking back to when grins grabbed the gold. Here are our favorite moments:
• Ryan Lochte’s Grill
This swimming champ made headlines when he debuted a gold medal win with a patriotic grill. Before you decide to invest in mouth-bling, you might want to opt for your natural sparkly smile instead. Prolonged use of a grill, or “grillz” can trap food particles and bacteria around teeth and gums.
• A Bite of Gold
Olympians biting their gold is a podium tradition. Though chocolate coins would be a worthy way to taste victory, what's the appeal of a mouthful of metal? No one knows for sure, but historical counterfeiting may play a role in the metal mystery. Coins used to contain precious metals, so money handlers would bite them to test their authenticity. Another explanation may be photographer's obsession with the pose. The snapshot has become a Summer Olympics staple, and iconic shots are easier to sell.
• Synchronized Smiling
Synchronized swimming is one of the more offbeat Olympic events. But this strenuous sport requires stamina, strength and lots of smiling. If you think it's hard to smile when you're having a bad day, imagine holding your breath, exerting an enormous amount of energy—all while smiling! And those smiles pay off positively in the judges' scores.
This 2008 Olympian said it best: “Imagine doing a four-minute bike sprint while holding your breath in 15-second intervals. And we have to do it all with a smile.”
• Olympians Save Their Smiles
Since 2004, a team of dental professionals volunteers to give athletes gratis care. Surprisingly, traumatic care isn't the most requested service. At the London Olympics, nearly half of participants hadn’t had a dental exam in the last year. The clinic provides cleanings, too, providing mouthguards and on-site dentists during competition. The hope is that athletes return home as more than Olympians—but as oral health advocates.
What's your favorite Olympic [smile]stone? Share yours below!