A staple of American humor about the UK is the population’s bad teeth. For example, Lisa Simpson was shown “The Big Book of British Teeth” by her orthodontist. Is there actual evidence that British teeth are worse than anyone else’s?
David Dreaming Bear, Horsethief Canyon, California USA
British teeth are not bad, but irregular by American standards. American middle class children are normally tormented with gratuitous cosmetic dentistry to make them look like Stepford wives, so that any dental individuality is regarded as strange. An American woman I know whose parents resisted this fashion was bullied at school for her “bad” teeth, although she doesn’t have a filling in her head at the age of 45.
Christopher Young, Sheffield England
I don’t know the basis for it but it is definitely a stereotype the Americans have about us. I was talking to an american woman recently, and in the middle of the conversation she broke off to exclaim at what “remarkably white teeth” I had.
Peter, London England
Surely this stereotype has arisen out of the American preoccupation of spending large amounts of money on having their teeth done, a pastime which, like cosmetic surgery, the British find too vain to become involved in.
Clive, Sydney Australia
It’s actually Canadian humor. Mike Myers (Canadian) gets the credit for this from “Austin Powers”. Americans are quiet on the subject of teeth since our first president didn’t have any (except made of ivory and held together by frightful metal springs).
Dan Morgan, Boston US
I understand that before the second world war the Americans’ dental health was apalling. Visiting servicemen spread the use of toothbrushes when they went ‘back home’.
Jonathan, Lancaster UK
It was actually ‘The British Book of Smiles’. Americans spend loads dewonkifying their teenagers’ teeth so they just look better. British children’s teeth are much better today than when I was young, despite all those American soft drinks.
Tomas Santos, Hove UK
Its not that ours are bad but that Americans are obsessive about their’s. Its catching on here too with just about all kids getting fitted with braces. Don’t remember anyone at my school who had a brace. Notice that Austin Powers has snaggly teeth reflecting the American view of a Brit.
George, Edinburgh Scotland
Until the NHS started up, and before the availability of fluoride in toothpaste (or water), our British teeth were spectacularly ugly. Look at any film footage of average Britons before about 1945, and weep. The standard of living of the contemporary American probably afforded them better dental care; and, I suspect, a certain cultural austerity would have meant that corrective procedures such as braces would be regarded by us Brits as extravagance and vanity.
Simon Gilman, London UK
I think Simon Gilman has put it best. Having spent my first 20 years in America and 14 years since living in the UK, I find that the average Brit is satisfied with teeth that might be crooked, stained, even slightly rotten, if they aren’t causing much discomfort to their owner. Average Americans have much higher standards of expectation in the state of their dental health – regardless of whether they have to pay for dental treatment or not, they feel very strongly that good teeth are a wise investment in looks and health. Many visits to the dentist by average Brits happen only after something has gone horribly wrong with their teeth, whilst Americans take an actively preventative approach with semi-annual dental checkups and intervention before any problems become severe. As a result of the greater amount of attention that Americans pay to their teeth, they are far more likely to notice and comment on the state of other people’s teeth.
Wendy James, London UK
Japanese culture has a stigma attached to teeth. Women cover their mouths while laughing because of this. Fortunately this also helps to cover up their awful teeth. An attractive girl will quite often be ruined by a horrifying set of gnashers. In my opinion free dental care for children on the NHS gives us far better teeth than the Japanese and leaves us with more natural smiles than our American cousins.
John Mullen, Kitakyushu Japan
I don’t know about the States, but here in Mexico the common phrase to describle ‘wonky’ teeth is ‘dientes ingles’ (English teeth).
Iain Pearson, Mexico City Mexico
I just returned to the US after having lived in England for seven years. The concept of “bad British teeth” is certainly an unkind stereotype, but I agree with the fact that the English are more comfortable with the idea of having manky teeth as long as they don’t actually hurt. I think the NHS is to blame, in part for not having enough dentists in certain parts of the country to allow for visits twice a year, and also by establishing the attitude that that having white teeth, free of decay, are hard to achieve rather than a normal healthy state of being. In the US, health insurance often does not cover dental work, and does not cover braces at all, but since sound teeth are a class indicator here, people would be hard put to just accept having a missing tooth or visible decay for fear of being thought a hillbilly.
Valene Harris, New York US
As an American who has lived the past 3 years in the UK, I am sorry to say that I must agree with the “bad teeth” stereotype. I know that some Brits (as I have been reading in the above comments) see us Americans as being “obsessed” with good teeth, but some of the teeth I see here are absolutely appalling. Otherwise attractive people are rendered hideous by mis-shapen, stained, rotton teeth. One time a man I was talking with in a pub claimed he was getting drunk that night so he could go home and pull his bad tooth. When I asked why he didn’t go to a dentist he announced, with pride, that he had never been to a dentist in his life. I found it absolutely disgusting - just as if he had announced he had never bathed. I have also seen women in the UK spend thousands of pounds on cosmetic surgeries, including breast augmentation, while completely ignoring a mouthful of crooked, fang-like tobacco stained teeth that badly effect their appearance more than anything else. Sorry, Britian. Us “yanks” happen to be right about this one!
Jovanka Steele-Williamson, London UK
im a dental hygienist in ny. the people I see here are just as ignorant about oral hygiene as anywhere else. many people interested in whitening have periodontal disease, their teeth are actually loose but rather than pay to see a periodontist to save them they would like them bleached because that seven hundered dollars is easier to come up with than the money to actually save the teeth. alot of people want their teeth pulled and nice white dentures put in instead. how about some preventitive measures like regular check ups or floss it costs a dollar. even if you dont have insurance chekups at the most are way way less than the average price of sneakers most people have a low dental IQ no matter what country.we need to change this.tooth loss is not necessary even if you’re 80. floss!!!
heather, new york usa
I have to say, as a tourist here in London for the millionth time, I am always astounded by the bad teeth here which I believe is caused mostly by smoking. I think it’s cool to have iregular shaped teeth, but staining and rot…these are syptoms of bad hygeine, not vanity and not genetics. Apart from being the most disgusting habit in the world, smoking really makes teeth look gross. When I am attracted to someone, I imagine kissing them. If I can’t get past that initial imagining (ie. if the person opens their mouth and has terrible teeth) it’s NEVER going to happen. Instead of being obsessed with highlights, tans and boob jobs, why not invest a few bob in a trip to the dentist, a bleaching tray and some dental floss? The world would be a better place!
Gary, San Francisco USA
As a Briton living in the US for the past four years, I can honestly say that British people do have worse teeth. I came to US considering myself lucky to have a good set of teeth; however, over time I realized that my teeth were far from perfect. And all it would have taken was braces for a year or so. Americans do have far straighter and whiter teeth than English people. On a trip back to England I asked my dentist about British teeth, he said even when he offered corrective braces, crowns, bridges for free, people were not interested. I think British people are starting to care, but have a lot of catching up to do.
P. Doodes, Chicago, USA
I hate to admit it, but American teeth are (generally) whiter and straighter than us Brits. However I fall into the typically British camp of, although I would like to have whiter teeth, the thought of cosmetic surgery or self-manipulation seems vain and slightly shallow. I believe you should be happy with yourself, crooked teeth or not.
Karl Gilbert, London, England
I must have misunderstood the stereotype. I always assumed “British Teeth” to refer to large, even rows of well-spaced, uniform-sized teeth (easier to floss). I spent years in braces, had a couple of painful oral surgeries, and I still look like Terry-Thomas, so you won’t hear me complaining. I actually find my concept of “British Teeth” rather attractive.
Jeff Meade, San Francisco, United States
As a geneticist, I’m dying to claim that the state of British teeth is at least partly genetic. Otherwise, I can’t explain why the dirt-poor janitor at my research centre, who grew up in Eritrea and hadn’t seen a toothbrush till he was twenty-seven, has flawless white teeth; whereas Prince Charles, who presumably had access to every toothy luxury, keeps his lips shut when he smiles.
Premee Mohamed, St. Albert, Canada
I admit that I have heard or seen things that have to do with the English having bad teeth, but I don’t think it’s an “American” thing, especially when 99.9% of people I know don’t think anything of it and don’t pay any attention. Besides, even if their teeth aren’t 200% perfect, they have the most fabulous accents EVER!
Renee Chastine, Ann Arbor, USA
I think that some of the 60s pop stars are to blame for some of the stereotype. Peter Noone? Keef?
Bill Moran, Fairmont, WV, USA
If you look at history, poor dention of the English is recorded as far back as when sugar was introduced to the upper classes and coveted to the point of their teeth falling out in the 14th century. It’s probably mostly Anglo-Saxon genetics. I don’t understand why people get their panties in a bunch and have to call Americans “vain” and so forth. Don’t be so touchy. As an American I’ve gotten used to every other nation having some crap thing to say about “my people”, and usually it cuts further than a comment on my teeth.
Peg, Reno, Nevada, USA
Being French born living in the US I can testify that: 1) the appalling state of British teeth is shared by ALL Europeans. Their teeth are crooked and YELLOW even in the upper classes. 2) The American standards are WAY higher; most of my employees have flawless WHITE teeth. 3) And, yes, I had my teeth redone to match my social environment ($30,000)
Stephane, Michigan, USA
Well, I live in Norway, and most people here have nice teeth, also before braces. But the times I’ve been in UK, I really did notice how everyone’s teeth are more uneven than I’m used to. So I don’t think it’s only a US stereotype.
Christine, Oslo, Norway
While I agree somewhat that Americans are peculiarly obsessed with cosmetic dentistry, I don’t think it’s only for aesthetic reasons that Americans pay for things like orthodontia. Crooked and overcrowded teeth are more likely to fall out, so there are health benefits too. I’m sure you guys are right that some Americans get tooth whitening for themselves and braces for their kids just because they’re worried about how they look, but if the fear of developing yellow teeth motivates people to brush and floss more often, then I’m all for it.
Beth Gabor, New York City, USA
I’m with Peg from Reno Nevada. Well said, Peg. But the part about “why people get their panties in a bunch” made me laugh so hard my teeth hurt. The newest addition to my lexicon.
Jack, New Canaan, USA
A friend’s daughter, a beautiful young blonde (who wore braces in her teens) met a charming Solicitor on a visit to London. As the transatlantic romance progressed (they are now married), the first thing she told her mother about him was that he had terrible teeth!
Bennett, New York, NY, USA
My dad hauled my family and me off to Denver, Col. in the late Seventies, which was nice. But he suffered badly from ‘British tooth syndrome’, and it wasn’t simply about a lack of toothy symmetry or luminosity! I recall that he suffered terrible, agonising problems with his molars at the time, but all of these were solved in a few, admittedly expensive, sessions with a local dentist. So I submit that it’s not just vanity, but a better standard of dentistry, that was (is?) the main cause of the Anglo-American ‘gap’. A gap that is I think, these days, thankfully narrowing due in no small part to great improvements in general dental hygiene here (and improvements in treatment, no doubt, if you can afford them - perhaps it’s just that more people can).
Jon Lishman, Llanelli, Wales
British people drink 180 million cups of sugary, milky tea every day. Here in the north we also smoke constantly and drink dark beers. No wonder our teeth ain’t white. But at least we’re not all obese.
Patalicious, Darlington, UK
I have to agree with Gary and Premee.
1 - I could never be attracted to someone who had skank teeth. Skank teeth = skank breath and also tells me that the person is unhygienic and probably has bad health. Not an attractice combination.
2 - I was in the UK when the Queen Mother died, and was appalled at the state of her teeth- ugh! Black and nasty, what were they doing with all their money? Obviously not spending it on a toothbrush and some toothpaste. In my travels there (I’ve been quite a few times), a lot of the people I encountered had nasty teeth. You may think they’re nice looking til they open their mouths, and it was hard to hide the shock-horror that registered on my face time and again. I don’t have “Hollywood teeth”, but I do take good care of mine!
Bev., South Carolina, United States
Leave it out Bev, the Queen Mother was well over 100 before she died, so she would have been in age where all the fancy treatments wouldn’t have been around. Wasn’t much she could do. And to all those going on about it being a health issue rather than a cosmetic one, better take a long hard look at you Americans, so obese as a nation it’s sickening. All those heart attacks, diabetes et al the highest in the world. Don’t try and preach yo us.
Michael, Nuneaton, England
I first really noticed bad English teeth watching British comedies. It amazed me that actors such as John Inman (Mr. Humphries) in “Are You Being Served” and Geoffrey Hughes (Onslow) in “Keeping Up Appearances”, did nothing about their awful looking crooked, broken and stained teeth over the years. I could understand Onslow’s character having bad teeth, but with Mr. Humphries, who was in the public eye, why did the producers think that his teeth look attractive?
Marcia Smith, New York, US
Thank god my teeth aren’t like that. I think it is a problem among the older generations of Britain. After the Second World War British Healthcare was understandably quite under-funded etc, much like the rest of Europe, but unlike the US. It’s obviously taken a few years for the Welfare State to kick in. Where I live the state of teeth among the 10 - 30 year olds is good, no doubt the same as those of the same age in the US.
Russel Finlay, Bangor Down
Sounds like a gross generalisation - as daft as saying “all Americans are stupid”, “all Americans are warmongers”, or “all Americans are religious maniacs”…
Christopher, Brighton, UK
When i was in Britain I didnt see any bad teeth, just some crooked like mine. But when i was in the USA people had all prefect straight teeth but they had a lot of fillings.
Paul, Bremen, Germany
As an American-born resident of London, I hold the steretype is based on fact. Brits have terrible teeth! As a few have pointed out, Americans are obese. As a whole, we are also more wasteful and harder workers than the Britsih, but those are equally irrelevant to the discussion at hand. There may be a serious weight problem in the US, it does not, however, negate the essential helath benefits connected with regular dental hygene and dentist appointments. Despite the absurd claims of Brits being unconcerned with appearances (the short skirts, bleached hair, and orange spray-on tans up and down Oxford Circus beg to differ), Americans are encouraged to care for their teeth for non-cosmetic reasons. Admittedly as a result, straight white teeth is now the norm and thus, perhaps vainly, expected of the population at large, but looking more attractive is a small “price to pay” to a few more years without dentures. The obesity argument, besides being entirely off topic, is not a particularly strong one either. Twenty minutes in the dentist chair twice a year and 2 minute sof brushing a day is an easy way to improve your health and appearance. While not particularly positive, the amount of work necessary for the average American fatty to get physically fit would be far more intensive. The question then, for the purposes of THIS discussion, is “Why won’t the Brits invest 40 minutes per annum and 2 minutes a day to look and feel better and live longer (not flossing regularly has been linked ot heart disease, gum disease leads to high blood pressure)?”
James, Washington, DC USA
I can only speak for Belgium and the neighboring countries but I also see the “terrible teeth” syndrome here as well. There is nothing wrong with having crooked teeth or not having teeth that are perfectly straight. What there is no excuse for is in fact disgusting hygiene. I see here in Belgium tons of people with rotting,yellow or brown stained teeth and I do not understand it,considering the availability of inexpensive dental care. Do not be afraid of a toothbrush and toothpaste.It will not bite.
dino, los angeles Belgium
You have all made some pretty good points. Some better than others, but hey we’re all different kinds here. OK, so the majority of Americans are a little obsessed with dental work. My dad (a baby boomer) was tormented by the fact he had to wear head gear to school in the early sixties. My grandparents wanted better for their kids then they had… and when it came time for me to have braces, you bet I had them strapped on my mouth for a couple of years even though I didn’t even need them. Perfection right! Now, all that money spent on braces went down the drain… I didn’t wear my retainer. I still get compliments on my teeth but I don’t really go crazy on making them perfect. I brush twice a day, sometimes floss, but I do use a whitening mouthwash… it helps! So, I’m going on a date with a fine guy from Newcastle tonight, and although I haven’t seen pictures of him smiling teeth and all, I’ll have the worst thoughts of nightmare teeth imaginable, but I’m more excited to see what kind of person he is!! Yes, a person with his own identity and flavor! Sorry, if this wasn’t really relevant. We are all not perfect no matter where we come from, we should embrace our differences and just simply get along.
Tina, Los Angeles, United States
I am not sure of this but i believe that it may be because Americans have been putting Fluoride in there water. In the UK bout 10 per cent of the population, six million people, receive fluoridated water, mainly in the Midlands and north-east, and the government plans to extend this, with Manchester expected to be next. About 170 million Americans live in areas with fluoridated water.
Gary Bell, Blackpool England
Ok maybe it is due to Americans having fluoridated drinking where it is advailable to 170 million but in England only 10% of the population get fluoridated drinking water. I know this American guy he does not brush his teeth for days on end whereas i am constantly brushing mine and my teeth are nasty- well not that bad considering, but they do feel like it.
Gary Bell, Blackpool England
America is insecure and will pick out any little thing that promotes themselves! But as stated above, I’d rather crooked teeth (although mine are 100% perfect - shock horror) than weigh 400 lbs. And as “nice” as the American smile is, half of them don’t know where in the world they are. Let’s compromise - Brits are to spend more on Colgate, Americans to spend more on Weight Watchers and education (Geography in particular).
Matt Green, Brighton, England
The issue for me comes down to bad breath, plain and simple. I don’t have any problem with unique teeth, but chronic bad breath, well, I think you can safely say that it is the single worst turn off known to man. I’ve lived in Japan, which has to have the worst dental hygeine in the developed world. Cases of dragon breath abound. Part of it has to be genetic, because I have lived in Nicaragua, a developing country where most people can’t afford a toothbrush, toothpaste, let alone a checkup, and a high percentage of them had decent teeth. Please do the world a favor and spread sweet smelling kissable breath. Floss, and go to your dentist at least once a year. You don’t have to get braces if you don’t want to, ok? Deal?
Seth, Connecticut USA
After reading the article and comments, I have to say that both sides are right, and wrong. Americans DO have a much higher health standard with our dentistry. But many of the Brits are right too in which the U.S. has a sickening problem with coronary disease and obesity. Crooked, plaque infested teeth are disgusting and very unhealthy. But so is eating at McDonalds everyday and many American schools cutting physical education. We both have issues to work on.
John, Chicago, IL U.S.A
I would never generalise and say all Brits have bad teeth, any more than I would say all Americans are loud and fat (although many are!) It’s just the way it is, with dental care here. When I was a child in the 70s and 80s my family had no money, could barely pay the light bill, but my Mom scraped for the dentist. Not for vanity, but it was equated with doctor visits. You go to the doctor, you go to the dentist. It may be vanity now with whitening,etc. but there was none of that then, it was just thought the healthy thing to do.
Lisa, Connecticut, USA
I think it’s an interesting point that the person made about “if the American dental standard is because of “health concerns”, why is America so record-breakingly unhealthy on so many other fronts?” It strikes me that it’s to do with spending money, and the American cultural attitude towards that. It costs lots of money to have the regimented, flawless teeth of an American. It costs hardly anything to eat healthily and not be fat. In fact, it costs MORE to be fat. Therein seems to lie the truth; in America’s spend-happy, consumer culture, anything which is cheap is avoided and anything on which vast amounts of money can be spent is gravitated towards - irrelevant of health issues. So dental care is costly and coincidentally it’s good for you. Eating to the point of weighing literally twice as much is also expensive and coincidentally it’s bad for you. Buying a huge, inefficient car is expensive and coincidentally it’s bad for everyone. The average American spends way more on items related to in-active entertainment, such as home cinema systems and video game consoles, than any other person in the world; conversely they spend far below average on sports equipment and things such as bikes. The former things are far more expensive (afterall it costs next to nothing to play a game of football, whereas a HDTV can cost $1000s) and is, coincidentally, unhealthy. If you think in terms of Americans being “preyed” on by people wanting their money - whether it be food companies or dentists - then it all starts to make sense.
Will Ondore, Milan Italy
Wow! I was lucky to come across this conversation. I am actually doing a project on British teeth for my High School’s Foreign Language Club’s Mulitcultural Week. I’m somewhat fascinated with Great Britain (I blame it on your actually having a history) and so I chose to do my project on this. But I’ve had trouble coming up with a reason that everyone thought British teeh were bad, seeing as how when I typed into Google (or the like)I came up with many sites on British Dentistry. I found that odd if everyone supposedly has “skank teeth”…I thought that if the rumor were true I could blame it on a lack of flouride in your water, but I have since learned that is a false thought. And, personally, I have a crooked tooth I was born with and when my mother offered braces I told her (quite affrontedly) that that tooth added character!
Rachel, Missouri USA
Many of you Brits feel that it is Americans vanity that engage us to worry about the health of our teeth. It is also consideration for others. I am not the one that has to look at my teeth all day. I might see my teeth twice a day during each of my brushings but my co-workers and family are the ones who have to see them all day long. I can’t help but stare at the yellow stained, crocket teeth. I find myself having to purposely stop staring. Your right it does bring character to the face. Just don’t feel uncomfortable when I stare.
Brandy, Hermosa Beach now Otley USA now UK
First off I would definitely have to agree that British people have worst teeth then Americans. I don’t understand it when British celebs, such as Katie Price (aka Jordan) get boob jobs, dye their hair, and tan but don’t bother to fix their awful teeth. It’s like building a new house with termite wood. Also, yeah the Queen’s mother was 100 and was living before mass dental health care was available, but I live in the rural South and have met people who are 122 whose teeth were in much better shape than hers. And secondly, Americans may be obese but you Brits are sure catching up with us being the second most obese country after Americans. Getting your teeth checked and cleaned is more a matter of health than vanity. There have been documented cases of people who have died from tooth infections that can spread to the brain. Just look at the little boy who recently died in Maryland from a tooth infection because he didn’t have the health insurance to pay to see a dentist. Brits have health care provided by their government at least do us all a favor and use it, especially when so many here in American aren’t given the option by our government.
Malathia, Atlanta, GA United States
The first I ever heard about bad teeth in England was an article in “Rolling Stone” magazine by P. J. O’Rourke. I believe it was titled “Among the Euroweenies”. He relates a story of a very condescending Brit in a bar, who merely grinned at O’Rourke’s responses to his anti-American comments, and I believe the last sentence of the article was “Don’t these people have dentists?” I understand that this article is an excerpt from O’Rourke’s book titled “Holiday in Hell”, published in 1988.
Rita Dalon, USA
Oral health is not based solely on cosmetics, as many Brits tend to suggest. It has to do with overall personal hygiene and quality of life. Gum disease, tooth decay and oral cancer affect nearly a third of all adults in the US. I’m betting 99% of adult Brits have suffered “facial pain” in the last 6 months.
N. Saxon, Boston, USA
Brandy, your argument is absurd. I am hardly obsessive about my teeth, but I was lucky to be born with a straight set. The idea that I should maintain my teeth to avoid disgusting someone else rather than for my own health is just silly. I’m almost inclined to use your argument about some of the fatties we have here though. I shouldn’t have to vacate an entire hallway just to let someone pass…
Dave, Long Island, NY USA
I think it’s a macho thing for the Brits. I have a few Brit friends and they refuse to see doctors until things get life threatening. Stiff upper lip syndrome,…and I guess it’s the same thing with their teeth.
Freddy, Kaohsiung Taiwan
Sorry folks, you can’t use the obesity argument anymore. According to a recent WHO publication, about 74% of Americans can be classed as overweight, but Britain is close behind with 63%. Pot calling the kettle and all that. As to teeth - I think a middle ground would be nice. I don’t care if you have snaggly teeth if they’re clean. Hygiene first!
Maya, Sacramento USA
Simply a different dental culture. From the time we (Americans) were children it was always 2 Dentist trips a year, fluoride in the water, and floss, floss, floss. White teeth in American culture is much more a symbol of ‘hygiene’ than of obsessive vanity.
AJ, London UK
It is undoubably true that Americans have straighter teeth then the british, it is for the same reason that at the turn of the century chinese women had much smaller feet then british women. As a people we seem to shy away from performing painfull procedures on our children for a percieved cosmetic benifit.
Erik, Derby England
Well… On television I see a lot of Americans with very white teeth… but white and even doesn’t mean healthy, repeated whitening treatments are very bad for teeth - one thing you can say about us Brits - we’re far less likely to end up needing false teeth!It’s not bad dental hygiene - our teeth are healthy, we don’t have bad breath - we just also don’t have the vanity to spend hundreds of pounds on cosmetic surgery every few months. Also, I’d rather be stereotyped for having slightly yellow teeth than being obese, stupid, war-mongering, sheep. Perhaps Americans should think about the way the rest of the world views them, before going on about how “disgusting” they think we look.
Lucy, Driffield E. Yorks
It’s a cultural thing, obviously. I learned this early on from my father’s attitude towards dental hygene, and he hails from the U.K. I was visiting relatives there–this was about 20 years ago–and without exception the guys and girls both cared not for dental hygene. It was weird to see so many truely attractive cousins just neglecting something so basic as your smile.
Mike McNally, Toronto Canada
On a related note, I was wondering … since there are clearly no dental records anywhere in Great Britain how does Scotland Yard identify murder victims? It must be a real bugger.
Wibbett McFreeling, Gasping Ridge, New Jersey, USA
What you have to remember is this-Americans are constantly looking for things to make themselves feel better-who has the better car, who has the nicer home, who wears designer clothing. I am constantly forced to defend the Southern US (where I come from) because the rest of the country thinks we are all a bunch of backwoods hillbillies with no teeth and old tires in our front yard. Don’t pay any attention to Americans. So many are ignorant of anyone outside of their 50 mile comfort zone. P.S.-My teeth are just fine.
Stephanie, Asheville, NC USA
Stay away from fluoride! It’s poison,is possibly a major contributor to the incidence of Alzheimers disease, lowered IQ, and it reads right on the toothpaste tube to call the poison control center if ingested. Whatever you do, do not swallow much of it! And remember, U.S. water supplies are full of fluorides(added). It will be shown in the future that fluoride has been a leading cause of the above ailments and many others that plague us. Wait and see!
Steven , Great Falls USA
In the Victorian era in Britain, it was fashionable to have bad/rotting teeth as a sign of wealth. Having black teeth displayed your affluence and ability to afford sugar products and confectionaries. Some upper-class citizens used to paint their teeth black to emphasise the effect. I’m guessing that this - and the American pre-occupation with a Hollywood smile - made up this misconception.
Emily, Middlesbrough United Kingdom
Yes people in the UK DO have bad teeth - but so do other people across the world. And there are also people in the UK who have NICE teeth, just like everywhere else in the world!
Michelle, Manchester United Kingdom
I thought bad teeth were more of a European thing, rather than just the British. I am one of those people who has never even been to Britain, but still has that idea of British= bad teeth. Ignorant, I’m sure, but there is some merit to it. The royal family is a good example (and I am not referring to the elderly Queen either.) Nonetheless, the British still have the most amazing accents (although I cannot understand much of what they’re saying.)
Heather, Rio Rancho, NM United States
Inspired by SFGOON.
) on the OP . No big deal it is what it is there for .