NationStates Jolt Archive

Here in the US, I've seen several films and shows that make reference to the ongoing atrocity of British dental care.

Bad, rotten, filthy, sewer-like mouths filled with fish-smelling colonies of fecal-laden flesh-eating bacteria.

At least that's the way it's portrayed.

Do people in the UK have some sort of running joke about that? Is is some European joke about the UK?

What's up with your teeth, dammit?

Yeah, we all look like Austin Powers. Seriously, I only post on this forum because my teeth are so atrocious that I dare not open my mouth in public. :D

Nothing is wrong with my tooth

British dental standards really aren't significantly lower than the average of any first world country. Also, it only seems that Americans make jokes about it, so it's most likely just come about through another Hollywood-myth. Personally, I don't have great teeth, but that's because of over-fluorination (fluoridisation?) of water supplies where I lived as a child, and genetically weak enamel.

Nothing, really. People in the UK just don't spend thousands on getting their teeth bleached white.

Here in the US, I've seen several films and shows that make reference to the ongoing atrocity of British dental care.

Bad, rotten, filthy, sewer-like mouths filled with fish-smelling colonies of fecal-laden flesh-eating bacteria.

At least that's the way it's portrayed.

Do people in the UK have some sort of running joke about that? Is is some European joke about the UK?

What's up with your teeth, dammit?
(As a consequence of the British Empire )the population of the UK has had access to dirt cheap sugar for a loooooooooooong time, hence making it practical to put sugar in fucking everything. Loadsa sugar in diet+ less than perfect dental hygeine =reaaaaaaaaaly shitty teeth.

My teeth arn't bad at all, and I don't know anyone who has bad teeth.

Seriously though. Our teeth are fine. I don't think the amount of fillings per capita are above the norm in the industrialised world. (Personally I got my first one two months ago, and that was caused by a food trap, the rest of my teeth, and I quote the dentist here, were "perfect").

I was told that it started with the GIs coming over in WWII. But I think it may still be around since we aren't as obsessive compulsive about our teeth as Americans (I mean that in the nicest possible way. It is just Americans on TV all have perfect teeth, blindingly white*, straight, the works)


*Waterworld really took the piss with this. The bad guy is a chain smoker yet has bright white teeth.

I don't think that there's anything wrong with the quality of our dentists at all.

My dentist is brilliant and uses quite a few modern techniques.

Added to the fact that we get reduced/free treament through the NHS, I'm extremely happy to have the dental service that we do.

I have to agree with Blatant Sillyness however, we do have WAY too much sugar in our diet, and have for a very very long time. In schools here we have the ever present tuck shops selling all manner of candies and chocolate every break time and lunch time. It's a trend that doesn't dissipate with age.

In terms of techniques and technology, there's nothing that dentists here can't do privately that can't be done in the US. The difference, is that it costs just as much and alot of people don't have dental insurance.

Under the NHS the standard of treatment we get is basic, ie amalgam(sp) fillings, no caps or anything like that. Basically the NHS covers what is deemed NECESSARY to have healthy (not necessarily attractive) teeth.

Listen here yank I am British and I have perfectly healthy teeth. I have not had one dental filling nor have I had to have extensive dental surgery.

But if you want to talk national sterotypes...

Tell me do, how do Americans rule the world when most days they are on the stomach pumps trying to get rid of obesity problem?

Here in the US, I've seen several films and shows that make reference to the ongoing atrocity of British dental care.

Bad, rotten, filthy, sewer-like mouths filled with fish-smelling colonies of fecal-laden flesh-eating bacteria.

At least that's the way it's portrayed.

Do people in the UK have some sort of running joke about that? Is is some European joke about the UK?

What's up with your teeth, dammit?

What did happen in the 60s was that a lot of young kids were given tetracycline antibiotics for one reason or another. They then discovered that this stains the teeth that are being formed (adult teeth) so we have a whole generation with yellow teeth.
Secondly, the British diet is suprisingly low on sugars (high on fat instead) which means that teeth do not rot so quickly if you do not clean them. This led to less importance being placed on cleaning your teeth than in the new world at least. It is rare in the UK for people to clean their teeth after the midday meal, wheras here it is very common. Yellow teeth + less obsesive cleaning = "bad" teeth.

I have to agree with Blatant Sillyness however, we do have WAY too much sugar in our diet, and have for a very very long time. In schools here we have the ever present tuck shops selling all manner of candies and chocolate every break time and lunch time. It's a trend that doesn't dissipate with age.


Try the diets elsewhere. i.e. the americas in general. The UK diet is virtually sugar free by comparison. Sugar is addictive, and we nearly all have a sweet tooth, but the excessive level of sugar consumption in the new world is frightening. Why do you think there is such a problem with obesity this side of the pond.

I'm British and my teeth are fine, a few fillings mind you but other than that they are ok. See :D

I don't know where it got started but having lived in both countries I can say that it's about the same. Most British people I know go to the dentist once every six months to two years, same as Americans (apart from my scaredy-cat husband! I'm going to have to drag him bodily to the dentist.) Most places have fluorinated water now (my US dentist asked me about it before I came over) and the dental treatment is absolutely fine and modern. I have no idea where the stereotype came from but it's not really true.

What I have noticed is that the poorer people tend to have poorer dental hygiene as well, but I suspect that's true everywhere. And Social Services get a mite peeved if all your kids' teeth rot before they're ten, I can tell you, but I think that's pretty rare apart from the odd neglectful parent, who is hardly the British standard.

In short, it's rubbish, just like most stereotypes. :)

the only reason that we British have this reputation is from Victorian times, when people used to use huge amounts of sugar in everything to cover up the taste of bad meat (yes i know, sugar with meat sounds weird), and at a time when toothpaste hadnt been made readily avaliable.

by the way, the British were the first to create toothpaste on an industrial scale...

If there's one location where most people have horrible baked bean teeth it's Alberta. :eek: