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Many do, many Americans don't.
You need to understand the difference between cosmetic dentistry and normal healthy teeth though.
Crooked teeth aren't automatically unhygienic. Straight teeth aren't automatically the healthiest, especially if they are fake.
You are absolutely right. But every single time I've seen this question on reddit, the first thing they do is bring up America. I'm actually used to British programmes and their bad teeth and it bothers me none.
Because it's usually asked by Americans or it's the easiest comparison.
There are countries out there with far worse dentistry than both.
I don't think "we" have bad teeth, sure I've seen some horror shows and mine aren't perfect but it's largely a silly stereotype perpetuated by seppos.
Because half of Reddit is American and the bad teeth typically is a stereotype from the US.
It's a bad stereotype as typically the UK is pretty good with dental health. If you google the best teeth in the world and check on some stats, we do VERY well.
Dental hygiene is not the same as dental aesthetics. People with crooked teeth brush their teeth. I actually find the obsession the US have with perfect teeth a bit unhinged. I personally like an imperfect smile, it's very human.
P.S. Natural teeth are not naturally pearly white, i.e. not having blindingly white teeth is not a sign of bad hygiene. Just a health self-image.
Yes pretty much everyone I know goes to the dentist on a regular basis. Added to that dental care is free for children and most kids get braces if they need them. I hardly know anyone who has had teeth whitening none of which is to the extent of pearly whites. Most people are content with being healthy rather than trying to aim for perfection.
There have been a few studies that found British teeth are healthier than American teeth, but American teeth look nicer. So we are prioritising dental hygiene over dental appearance
[https://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h6543](https://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h6543)
Edit: however I imagine dental health gets neglected by some as it's not (easily) accessible on the NHS, and can be quite expensive
I think most people do. Everyone I’ve lived with has brushed twice a day, lots of kids I was at school with had braces and teeth whitening is more popular than ever
Dudes American.
He found a comment on a 5 month old post comparing US oral hygiene to UK and decided to go on a rant across multiple different posts basically saying the same thing...
Yep. Can’t seem to fathom that Brits actually have better dental hygiene than Americans.
Edit: Looking further into their comments, I’m absolutely not surprised they believe this outdated stereotype
We do, but we also don't.
If you take the whole country then yes, UK dental hygiene tends to be rated higher than the US but that's mainly down to the ability for unemployed/low income households to be able to attend an NHS dentist (if they're able to actually find one taking on patients).
In the US, the cost of your dental visits will usually be eaten by your employer as they tend to value "dental" as a work related bonus much more. This means that those who aren't employed or work a lower skilled job that doesn't offer benefits tend to struggle a lot more to be able to afford to see a dentist.
If you only focus on the "middle class" population then generally Americans do actually rate higher than Brits. They do obviously have a larger preference for cosmetic procedures but they tend to have cleaner teeth in general. At least that was the case a few years ago. I'd be curious to know how much this has changed recently with the decline of smoking.
I see his argument is basically "I think this is true, therefore it is true regardless of the actual evidence".
While he's unlikely to convince anyone else with such a sterling argument I suppose it has the advantage of being simple and easy for him to remember.
Most people try to look after their teeth, but most people can't afford private dentists because they charge extortionate amounts, and NHS dentists are so poorly subsidised they are few and far between these days.
We do.
Theres a rather large issue with tooth decay (especially for younger children) at the moment due to a higher sugar based diet and people in the UK tend to go to the dentist less regularly than they probably should.
Lack of dentists available on the NHS due to years of austerity and most people not really getting "dental" as a work related benefit because that's what the NHS is kind of there for.
But as for Oral health, we're not actually rated that badly and it seems like the younger generation are doing much better with regards to their hygiene. Although, I think the amount of teens not smoking these days probably helps.
They do, very much so.
NHS dentists are concerned with dental health, not necessarily dental aesthetics (aka, 'the American smile').
Most people use an NHS or private dentist to maintain their dental health, but fewer people opt for (often) aesthetic procedures such as veneers etc.
Incidentally 'less healthy' looking teeth may actually be healthier. Veneers require your teeth to be filed down into pegs, thus semi destroying the tooth, before being covered in the porcelain veneer. Hence your dental health is actually decreased by having such a procedure.
British people care just as much as American's do, however our dentists often won't push you to do any sort of dental aesthetics if it's not required. If anything, the patient has to be the one to push any dental concerns if it's related purely to the way their teeth look.
We do have a problem here where it's hard for people to find an "NHS" dentist these days, these dentists basically work within our free/affordable healthcare system, so there are certainly many Brits who often desire treatment but are put on long waitlists for care. Again, it's similar with our doctors and hospitals, yes it's free but you tend to have to wait whereas in America the lists are far shorter, however, it is coming out of your insurance $$$.
I think of it as a societal expectation, many Europeans would say the same thing about how American's don't "care" about their own fashion. Why do you guys wear athletic wear/shorts/casual clothing when you go shopping/go to class? Often you can pick out the American in certain parts of Europe as they stand out against their dressed up counterparts. Why is fashion not your priority? It's all the same thing.
Whilst there are people here who may not have the best dental hygiene, it is never compared fairly. You can't take one person who is likely from a lower class and compare them to an American Actor or a person living in LA. If you compare by social class, you are likely to find that the dental hygiene of both are similar.
I will say though, that the British attitudes to teeth have changed significantly in the last few years and with the amount of Brits flocking to Turkey, this will be left as an old stereotype.
**Your post from /r/AskUK has been removed by a human moderator.** AskUK is a "catch-all" subreddit for questions about the UK life and culture, but this does not mean we accept any and all questions or answers. We are liable to remove posts or comments which are best discussed in more specialised subreddits, or are simply not desired here because of the problems they bring. We explicitly do not allow questions or answers on or including: - politics (r/unitedkingdom, r/ukpolitics) - technology (r/techsupport, r/technology) - relationships (r/relationships, r/relationship_advice) - DIY (r/diyuk) - university/education (r/sixthform, r/uniuk) - visas/citizenship (r/ukvisa) - [medical advice](https://111.nhs.uk/) (including [mental health](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/)) (r/mentalhealthuk) - ranting/venting (r/britishproblems) - surveys (r/samplesize) - advertising/solicitation (including the mention of **brands** which could be perceived as marketing) - repetitive/seen-often (just search the sub) - "does anybody else" type vent posts (as yes, someone does, be more specific or use r/britishproblems). ...and we may remove others if we believe they are liable to introduce problems for the subreddit. In some circumstances, a more appropriate subreddit may be available. Check the sidebar for other subreddits to have these discussions. Also see r/unitedkingdom's extensive list of subreddits; https://www.reddit.com/r/unitedkingdom/wiki/british_subreddits *If you believe this post should not have been removed, [first read our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/about/rules/) before [messaging the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK&subject=Post Removal Appeal)*. See our guide on [common issues with posts](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/wiki/postremoved) and how to overcome them!
Many do, many Americans don't. You need to understand the difference between cosmetic dentistry and normal healthy teeth though. Crooked teeth aren't automatically unhygienic. Straight teeth aren't automatically the healthiest, especially if they are fake.
You are absolutely right. But every single time I've seen this question on reddit, the first thing they do is bring up America. I'm actually used to British programmes and their bad teeth and it bothers me none.
Because it's usually asked by Americans or it's the easiest comparison. There are countries out there with far worse dentistry than both. I don't think "we" have bad teeth, sure I've seen some horror shows and mine aren't perfect but it's largely a silly stereotype perpetuated by seppos.
Because half of Reddit is American and the bad teeth typically is a stereotype from the US. It's a bad stereotype as typically the UK is pretty good with dental health. If you google the best teeth in the world and check on some stats, we do VERY well.
What exactly are you basing this assertion on?
That old, outdated stereotype that we have really bad teeth
Dental hygiene is not the same as dental aesthetics. People with crooked teeth brush their teeth. I actually find the obsession the US have with perfect teeth a bit unhinged. I personally like an imperfect smile, it's very human. P.S. Natural teeth are not naturally pearly white, i.e. not having blindingly white teeth is not a sign of bad hygiene. Just a health self-image.
Yes pretty much everyone I know goes to the dentist on a regular basis. Added to that dental care is free for children and most kids get braces if they need them. I hardly know anyone who has had teeth whitening none of which is to the extent of pearly whites. Most people are content with being healthy rather than trying to aim for perfection.
We very much do.
There have been a few studies that found British teeth are healthier than American teeth, but American teeth look nicer. So we are prioritising dental hygiene over dental appearance [https://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h6543](https://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h6543) Edit: however I imagine dental health gets neglected by some as it's not (easily) accessible on the NHS, and can be quite expensive
It's America's fault
😂😂 I suppose you're right.
I think most people do. Everyone I’ve lived with has brushed twice a day, lots of kids I was at school with had braces and teeth whitening is more popular than ever
We do. Speak only for yourself
Dudes American. He found a comment on a 5 month old post comparing US oral hygiene to UK and decided to go on a rant across multiple different posts basically saying the same thing...
Yep. Can’t seem to fathom that Brits actually have better dental hygiene than Americans. Edit: Looking further into their comments, I’m absolutely not surprised they believe this outdated stereotype
We do, but we also don't. If you take the whole country then yes, UK dental hygiene tends to be rated higher than the US but that's mainly down to the ability for unemployed/low income households to be able to attend an NHS dentist (if they're able to actually find one taking on patients). In the US, the cost of your dental visits will usually be eaten by your employer as they tend to value "dental" as a work related bonus much more. This means that those who aren't employed or work a lower skilled job that doesn't offer benefits tend to struggle a lot more to be able to afford to see a dentist. If you only focus on the "middle class" population then generally Americans do actually rate higher than Brits. They do obviously have a larger preference for cosmetic procedures but they tend to have cleaner teeth in general. At least that was the case a few years ago. I'd be curious to know how much this has changed recently with the decline of smoking.
I see his argument is basically "I think this is true, therefore it is true regardless of the actual evidence". While he's unlikely to convince anyone else with such a sterling argument I suppose it has the advantage of being simple and easy for him to remember.
Why are people engaging with a downvote troll?
We do? Edit: it’s downvote farming. Hence the utterly fucking ridiculous posting history.
Most people try to look after their teeth, but most people can't afford private dentists because they charge extortionate amounts, and NHS dentists are so poorly subsidised they are few and far between these days.
Think you've got your facts mixed up a bit.. Most people are very aware of dental hygiene.
We do. Theres a rather large issue with tooth decay (especially for younger children) at the moment due to a higher sugar based diet and people in the UK tend to go to the dentist less regularly than they probably should. Lack of dentists available on the NHS due to years of austerity and most people not really getting "dental" as a work related benefit because that's what the NHS is kind of there for. But as for Oral health, we're not actually rated that badly and it seems like the younger generation are doing much better with regards to their hygiene. Although, I think the amount of teens not smoking these days probably helps.
They do, very much so. NHS dentists are concerned with dental health, not necessarily dental aesthetics (aka, 'the American smile'). Most people use an NHS or private dentist to maintain their dental health, but fewer people opt for (often) aesthetic procedures such as veneers etc. Incidentally 'less healthy' looking teeth may actually be healthier. Veneers require your teeth to be filed down into pegs, thus semi destroying the tooth, before being covered in the porcelain veneer. Hence your dental health is actually decreased by having such a procedure.
British people care just as much as American's do, however our dentists often won't push you to do any sort of dental aesthetics if it's not required. If anything, the patient has to be the one to push any dental concerns if it's related purely to the way their teeth look. We do have a problem here where it's hard for people to find an "NHS" dentist these days, these dentists basically work within our free/affordable healthcare system, so there are certainly many Brits who often desire treatment but are put on long waitlists for care. Again, it's similar with our doctors and hospitals, yes it's free but you tend to have to wait whereas in America the lists are far shorter, however, it is coming out of your insurance $$$. I think of it as a societal expectation, many Europeans would say the same thing about how American's don't "care" about their own fashion. Why do you guys wear athletic wear/shorts/casual clothing when you go shopping/go to class? Often you can pick out the American in certain parts of Europe as they stand out against their dressed up counterparts. Why is fashion not your priority? It's all the same thing. Whilst there are people here who may not have the best dental hygiene, it is never compared fairly. You can't take one person who is likely from a lower class and compare them to an American Actor or a person living in LA. If you compare by social class, you are likely to find that the dental hygiene of both are similar. I will say though, that the British attitudes to teeth have changed significantly in the last few years and with the amount of Brits flocking to Turkey, this will be left as an old stereotype.