ANDRE BEGIN

When I was a kid, I was a total ham when it came to taking pictures. I chalk that up to being an only child who was a borderline extrovert. All it took was for someone to show up with a camera, and I’d be there with my Osmond-smile, ready to leave my mark for posterity.

I don’t know how or why I became more camera-shy as the years went on, but now, before taking a picture, it usually involves stalling for a second, having a quick run to the nearest mirror, making a big smile and tilting my head in a few different angles to check that all is clear. The reason: photobombing food.

I have had a few near misses of important photos that got widely circulated among family and friends, which could have been disastrous due to certain foods sneaking in between my teeth and stealing the show.

Just a few days ago, I was at a restaurant, enjoying a lovely salad that was such a beautiful work of art, I almost felt bad eating it. On my way out, I smiled from ear to ear, thanking the server for a wonderful lunch, and then expressing my gratitude to the hostess for the great booth overlooking the entire restaurant, perfect for people watching. When I got back into my car, I drove to my next stop and peeked in the mirror before stepping out. I was horrified to notice a fleck of green stuck between the second and third tooth on the right side. How I’d wished someone had told me. And there I was, smiling and waving to everyone in the restaurant like a beauty pageant winner. A tad embarrassing, but that’s life. If only lettuce, broccoli, and spinach didn’t look quite so obvious when they decided to take up residence.

One food that sends me directly to the mirror for a smile check before going out in public (when a toothbrush isn’t within reach) is my favourite breakfast, cottage cheese and fresh fruit. Even though the white grains might not be quite as “showy” as a green vegetable, they do have a knack for unbalancing the symmetry of the look that my dental team has worked hard to maintain.

My other breakfast of choice, oatmeal with protein powder, is another one of those foods that seems to lodge easily in the crevices between my teeth, that if left unchecked, could leave the impression that I should have a date with a toothbrush and roll of dental floss sooner than later.

Even though I tend to stay away from very sticky and chewy candies that can disturb the stability of my crown work, black licorice has been a favourite of mine since I was a kid. However, pieces of licorice embedded in my teeth can make it look like I’d just been in a fight and lost.

Finally, I don’t know why it does this, but my favourite gluten-free bread seems to stick to my teeth more so than the breads I consumed before I developed my food intolerance. The resulting look is not terribly flattering and not unlike the cottage cheese experience.

To a certain extent, I’m glad that photo opps don’t seem as frequent as they used to be. And when they do, I can usually hold things up for a second to have a quick look (or to have someone take a quick look) to make sure everything is OK.

With so many foods that can steal the show, I’d like to ensure that a photo that might circulate widely doesn’t feature the highlights of my last meal, captured for posterity for decades to come, having me wonder why I didn’t take a few seconds to check first.

Did you enjoy this post? If you did, your likes and shares are most appreciated. If you haven’t already, please check out the rest of my blog at andrebegin.blog.
Sincere thanks for reading!
Have a great day,
André