Brits have bad teeth
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I can't really find the exact origin, some point to the late 40's and war era when dental hygiene wasn't top priority, but more so that Americans like their teeth to be straight and white. If you're used to just seeing straight and white, then anything else looks bad.1
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To be honest every time I go to England I'm shocked by a lot of people's teeth. You rarely see people with yellow/missing/crooked teeth in the US but in England you see it everywhere. I think it's because it's so hard to find an NHS dentist and because a lot of people don't care about their teeth that much (most of the royals have awful teeth and it's not like they can't afford a good dentist). Some people do have great teeth but that tends to be due to lucky genetics rather than extensive dental work.0
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Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »To be honest every time I go to England I'm shocked by a lot of people's teeth. You rarely see people with yellow/missing/crooked teeth in the US but in England you see it everywhere. I think it's because it's so hard to find an NHS dentist and because a lot of people don't care about their teeth that much. Some people do have great teeth but that tends to be due to lucky genetics rather than extensive dental work.
Is is *almost* compulsary to have the teeth whitened over there?
There is an increasing trend here to get teeth whitening professionally to attain a "hollywood smile"
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I can't really find the exact origin, some point to the late 40's and war era when dental hygiene wasn't top priority, but more so that Americans like their teeth to be straight and white. If you're used to just seeing straight and white, then anything else looks bad.
I do think the stereotype is grossly exagerrated but it's definitely not made up out of nothing.0 -
Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »To be honest every time I go to England I'm shocked by a lot of people's teeth. You rarely see people with yellow/missing/crooked teeth in the US but in England you see it everywhere. I think it's because it's so hard to find an NHS dentist and because a lot of people don't care about their teeth that much. Some people do have great teeth but that tends to be due to lucky genetics rather than extensive dental work.
Is is *almost* compulsary to have the teeth whitened over there?
There is an increasing trend here to get teeth whitening professionally to attain a "hollywood smile"
Well I had my teeth whitened in England but the majority of Americans I know don't need to because they have really looked after their teeth from childhood, had braces as kids and have cleanings every 3-6 months. I had to get mine whitened because I smoked at the time and didn't go to the dentist for about 5 years!2 -
Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »To be honest every time I go to England I'm shocked by a lot of people's teeth. You rarely see people with yellow/missing/crooked teeth in the US but in England you see it everywhere. I think it's because it's so hard to find an NHS dentist and because a lot of people don't care about their teeth that much. Some people do have great teeth but that tends to be due to lucky genetics rather than extensive dental work.
Is is *almost* compulsary to have the teeth whitened over there?
There is an increasing trend here to get teeth whitening professionally to attain a "hollywood smile"
Well I had my teeth whitened in England but the majority of Americans I know don't need to because they have really looked after their teeth from childhood, had braces as kids and have cleanings every 3-6 months. I had to get mine whitened because I smoked at the time and didn't go to the dentist for about 5 years!
thankyou - Ive always been curious about the teeth whitening culture.
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PlaydohPants wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »To be honest every time I go to England I'm shocked by a lot of people's teeth. You rarely see people with yellow/missing/crooked teeth in the US but in England you see it everywhere. I think it's because it's so hard to find an NHS dentist and because a lot of people don't care about their teeth that much. Some people do have great teeth but that tends to be due to lucky genetics rather than extensive dental work.
Is is *almost* compulsary to have the teeth whitened over there?
There is an increasing trend here to get teeth whitening professionally to attain a "hollywood smile"
Well I had my teeth whitened in England but the majority of Americans I know don't need to because they have really looked after their teeth from childhood, had braces as kids and have cleanings every 3-6 months. I had to get mine whitened because I smoked at the time and didn't go to the dentist for about 5 years!
thankyou - Ive always been curious about the teeth whitening culture.
Yeah it's weird. If your teeth are liquid paper white it looks cartoonish to me. Lots of people here (US) get braces as very young kids
Which is interesting because braces for kids have always been common on this side too. (I paid for mine at a slightly older age only due to vanity issues - my teeth werent so bad, just slight overcrowding)
However the NHS has cut back most recently and only children with severely bad teeth get to have braces.
The newest trend is teeth whitening (well its more mainstream now) and it's also on my list too.
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Is that why they boil all their food? Because of bad teeth?
Also I hear because it rains all the time that creates soggy teeth.2 -
If I where to guess, and I am, I would say the stereotype became popular do to TV.0
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Also just to add it's all Europeans in general, not just the Brits. Arguably the French have even worse teeth...0
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Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Also just to add it's all Europeans in general, not just the Brits. Arguably the French have even worse teeth...
Ahh, this is new to me.
I thought it specifically applied to Brits.0 -
Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Also just to add it's all Europeans in general, not just the Brits. Arguably the French have even worse teeth...
Ahh, this is new to me.
I thought it specifically applied to Brits.
It is but I'm saying that's unfair because French teeth are even worse but they just get stereotyped as eating a lot of garlic!0 -
Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Also just to add it's all Europeans in general, not just the Brits. Arguably the French have even worse teeth...
Ahh, this is new to me.
I thought it specifically applied to Brits.
It is but I'm saying that's unfair because French teeth are even worse but they just get stereotyped as eating a lot of garlic!
No thats Italians.
French are stereotyped for never shaving, drinking wine and eating snails and raw meat.
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^^True. We are currently going through an appeal process to try to get my eldest daughter braces on the NHS: Our family NHS dentist is adamant that she needs braces but the NHS orthodontist (that she was referred to) said she only needs them for cosmetic (not health) benefit.PlaydohPants wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »To be honest every time I go to England I'm shocked by a lot of people's teeth. You rarely see people with yellow/missing/crooked teeth in the US but in England you see it everywhere. I think it's because it's so hard to find an NHS dentist and because a lot of people don't care about their teeth that much. Some people do have great teeth but that tends to be due to lucky genetics rather than extensive dental work.
Is is *almost* compulsary to have the teeth whitened over there?
There is an increasing trend here to get teeth whitening professionally to attain a "hollywood smile"
Well I had my teeth whitened in England but the majority of Americans I know don't need to because they have really looked after their teeth from childhood, had braces as kids and have cleanings every 3-6 months. I had to get mine whitened because I smoked at the time and didn't go to the dentist for about 5 years!
thankyou - Ive always been curious about the teeth whitening culture.
Yeah it's weird. If your teeth are liquid paper white it looks cartoonish to me. Lots of people here (US) get braces as very young kids
Which is interesting because braces for kids have always been common on this side too. (I paid for mine at a slightly older age only due to vanity issues - my teeth werent so bad, just slight overcrowding)
However the NHS has cut back most recently and only children with severely bad teeth get to have braces.
The newest trend is teeth whitening (well its more mainstream now) and it's also on my list too.
Obviously I'd like her to get them on NHS but if required we'll have to find the cash from somewhere.
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Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Also just to add it's all Europeans in general, not just the Brits. Arguably the French have even worse teeth...
Ahh, this is new to me.
I thought it specifically applied to Brits.
It is but I'm saying that's unfair because French teeth are even worse but they just get stereotyped as eating a lot of garlic!
No thats Italians.
French are stereotyped for never shaving, drinking wine and eating snails and raw meat.
Yes and they call us 'les rosbifs' because that's all we eat and we lie in the sun until we're as red as rare beef. This is a slippery slope to be honest...2 -
Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Also just to add it's all Europeans in general, not just the Brits. Arguably the French have even worse teeth...
Ahh, this is new to me.
I thought it specifically applied to Brits.
It is but I'm saying that's unfair because French teeth are even worse but they just get stereotyped as eating a lot of garlic!
No thats Italians.
French are stereotyped for never shaving, drinking wine and eating snails and raw meat.
That made me laugh outloud!0 -
StealthHealth wrote: »
^^True. We are currently going through an appeal process to try to get my eldest daughter braces on the NHS: Our family NHS dentist is adamant that she needs braces but the NHS orthodontist (that she was referred to) said she only needs them for cosmetic (not health) benefit.PlaydohPants wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »To be honest every time I go to England I'm shocked by a lot of people's teeth. You rarely see people with yellow/missing/crooked teeth in the US but in England you see it everywhere. I think it's because it's so hard to find an NHS dentist and because a lot of people don't care about their teeth that much. Some people do have great teeth but that tends to be due to lucky genetics rather than extensive dental work.
Is is *almost* compulsary to have the teeth whitened over there?
There is an increasing trend here to get teeth whitening professionally to attain a "hollywood smile"
Well I had my teeth whitened in England but the majority of Americans I know don't need to because they have really looked after their teeth from childhood, had braces as kids and have cleanings every 3-6 months. I had to get mine whitened because I smoked at the time and didn't go to the dentist for about 5 years!
thankyou - Ive always been curious about the teeth whitening culture.
Yeah it's weird. If your teeth are liquid paper white it looks cartoonish to me. Lots of people here (US) get braces as very young kids
Which is interesting because braces for kids have always been common on this side too. (I paid for mine at a slightly older age only due to vanity issues - my teeth werent so bad, just slight overcrowding)
However the NHS has cut back most recently and only children with severely bad teeth get to have braces.
The newest trend is teeth whitening (well its more mainstream now) and it's also on my list too.
Obviously I'd like her to get them on NHS but if required we'll have to find the cash from somewhere.
It's really not fair and should be widely available through the NHS.
This is what we pay taxes for!!!!
I hope it goes in your favour0 -
Last holiday we had in the US I was impressed by the American smiles: There were lots of very straight, white teeth around.
I think in part is is because of spending more money on dentistry and that, compared to Brits, The Yanks are more tanned and the contrast highlights their teeth more.
I don't think that it is due to the British not looking after their teeth as well (as in not flossing, brushing etc), in fact that the high quality of my daughter's teeth (due to good brushing) went against her when trying to get braces:- The orthodontist decided that she didn't qualify for braces because her crooked teeth were not causing hygiene problems.
- Our dentist said that she had a lack of hygiene problems because she regularly brushed and flossed!
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