Trends for April 16, 2001

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, April 16, 2001 | 8:56 a.m.

Brush up

Let's forget for a while that today is tax day. That this very minute Uncle Sam and his cronies at the IRS may be pilfering your bank account for their annual payment.

Besides, there are more important things to worry about: There are only three days until the next episode of "Survivor II: The Australian Outback" airs.

And this week, instead of fretting over which contestant will be booted from the show, worry more about the players' oral hygiene.

Snakes, crocodiles -- hooey! The survivors' should be more concerned about whether their teeth and gums will survive the stint in the outback.

A study conducted by the Journal of Periodontology followed 15 third-year dental students who suspended their oral hygiene activities for 21 days. The results were, well, gross: By Day 21, all of the students showed signs of suffering from gingivitis, including plaque and inflammation.

Remaining members of the Kucha tribe -- Elisabeth and Rodger -- may be in the best dental shape, since early in the game the tribe won an awards challenge for which the prize was toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Sounds fishy

It's a sure sign of celebrity when total strangers are calculating the amount of plaque on your incisors.

But it's one sign a good number of children want to experience, according to the results of a recent survey released by Pepperidge Farm, makers of those cute, yummy Goldfish Crackers.

The company says 70 percent of children, ages 6-12, nationwide would like to "live life in a fishbowl" and become a celebrity.

And when they were rich and famous, 39 percent of girls said they'd like to share the story of their success in a celebrity interview conducted by Rosie O'Donnell. Meanwhile 30 percent of boys would choose to chew the fat with Carson Daly, host of MTV's "Total Request Live" show.

Get your motor running

OK, so we didn't stress out over taxes being due. But it is time to concern yourself with the state of your home's lawn.

In case you missed it, spring arrived a few weeks ago. And by now the grass is likely in need of mowing. But the lawn mower probably needs a tune-up. Mosey on over to sears.com for a few helpful hits before firing up that baby, including: