to wonder why the british have such manky teeth

[iloveberries]

okay so extreme title but on the whole british people have worse than average teeth... why is this?

I am british and don't have very nice teeth so i'm not slagging off brits!

All the americans and canadians i know have amazingly white (natural) teeth. Why is this? Do they put fluoride in the water?

I really want DS to have nice white teeth (because my teeth made me so upset all my life). Apart from the obvious (brushing, milk after fruit etc) what can i do to help him?!

How many Americans and Canadians do you actually know?

Because dental care is very expensive.

And painful.

What ???? I and my DH and DC and in fact all my family and people I know have nice teeth oh or are you on about the air brushed American celebrity photos ??

Most of the Californians I know wear adult braces and retainers at night or have veneers. Left to their own devices I am confident that their teeth would be as bad as mine.

Obvious reasons:

culture that did not see the importance of nice teeth (this is changing)

heavy sugar habit

expense of corrective dentistry

If you want your kids to have nice teeth then promote a good diet, good dental hygiene, and pray they don't need braces (or start saving for them!)

The Americans I know have expensive dental plans for the whole family

If you look at documentaries that show the poorer parts of USA, some communities don't have a tooth between them.

Canadians and Americans all have lovely perfect white teeth eh?

You clearly don't watch stuff like Swamp People, Ice Road Truckers, etc.

I've been to USA and Canada an they don't all look like dental adverts!

Those that do are into tooth whitening - which I can't help thinking must be very abrasive and damaging.

Mind you Goldie Hawn is on the One Show - her teeth look like they have had "work". Along with some other bits.

Braces for most, plus dental whitening.

I had braces so do have very straight teeth but I naturally don't have white teeth - never have had. Never had a filling or anything though, so my teeth are pretty healthy. Just not white. It could be rectified with a spot of dental whitening though but I don't want to go down that route tbh.

"All the americans and canadians i know have amazingly white (natural) teeth."

Do they indeed!
You watch too much trash darling!

Why do they have this rep for amazing teeth and yet do many have no health insurance? Surely dental treatment in the States must be even more expensive than here. There must be loads with manky teeth (though my Canadian work colleague's are amazing!)

My teeth could be better, I needed an operation to remove part of my gum and two teeth so that the dentist could then fit braces with enough space to straighten them, but they will never be mistaken for a set of American Celebrity teeth.

I have also been scared of the dentist since I was six years old, when one told me that he would stab me with a needle and hurt me on purpose because I was scared and wanted my mum to come into the room with me. I know this is not a rational fear now, but it persists all the same.

My American cousins have immaculate californian smiles but only because they have had thousands and thousands of dollars spent on expensive orthodontists work & dentistry since they were wee.
I however have good british teeth, not perfect (small chip from headbutting a road [oww], but no cavities or dental work, straight & White ) without spending a fortune on them. Good brushing technique, getting into good habits - brushing regularly & well, flossing and using mouthwash and not smoking will give a good basis for good teeth but some of it comes down to genetics - if you have wonky teeth then you'll need treatment to straighten them same with too many teeth etc.

Because Americans often have braces as children for cosmetic reasons, the NHS does not cover this and most parents wouldn't pay privately for cosmetic dentistry in the UK. Lots of Americans I know have their teeth cleaned professionally every 3-6 months and get their teeth whitened every year. I don't know any English friends who get their teeth professionally cleaned so regularly. Most people in England don't get their teeth whitened.

I have American friends who had braces as kids then AGAIN as adults, and paid out $30k for the priviledge

I think there's a difference between having healthy teeth and having absolutely uniform, even teeth. In Britain, we haven't seen slight irregularities in teeth size or straightness as a problem, whereas a lot of American dentistry seems to be about making everyone's teeth look the same. Clean, healthy teeth are essential, but personally I find cosmetic imperfections quite cute (exceptions for those which cause the person major problems or embarrassment, obviously)

i think we have nicer sweeties than the americans

at NoOnes needle-stabby dentist. What a bastard!

Actually, yes, there is flouride in the water in many parts of the US. (I'm American, and remember discussions about it growing up)

But not all Americans have amazingly white teeth. I have straight teeth (thanks to braces on my teeth as a child ). But while they are white, they are not "amazingly" white.

I think it's just a matter of brushing regularly and flossing.

This is a total (and very annoying) stereotype.

And it's only the Americans and Canadians who can actually afford it who have such sparkling white teeth.

The 'Americans have great teeth' thing is bullshit. I have travelled all over the US amd there are just as many minging teeth per capita.

I think mostly because they have private dentists and will keep suggesting work until your teeth are perfect, while NHS dentists aim to get your teeth reasonably straight and free of decay.

I've travelled and worked all over America and believe me, generally, their teeth are less than fabulous.

The OP says 'amazingly white (natural) teeth'

That bit about being natural made me laugh.

I went to a dentist recently and found out I have massive over bite. This was the first time I had been told anything about this in my life! It's true, but not something that has worried me hugely over the last 50 years.

We are spending money on making sure our children's teeth are straight. It's not a huge expense if averaged out over the number of years it takes (We do not live in the UK) and think they will appreciate it in years to come.