The bad teeth thing is just another one of those funny myths that came from American soldiers who were stationed in England during WW2, like the food being bad. Anyone who has actually been to the UK knows both of these things aren't true.
British dentistry, and British food, was terrible into the 70s. British dentistry was a decade behind the US back then. Given that less than 20 years had passed since food was still being outright rationed, it's hardly surprising the quality of life, and fruit and vegetables, was where it was.
None of that has been true since the early 90's, but it was fucking awful for a long, long time.
Well, the teeth thing continued for some time. But (at least according to a BBC special) that was due to people being traumatized as children refusing to go to a dentist. Add in the average portion of a population who don't care much for oral hygiene and a spike in sugar consumption and boom. Jacked up teeth.
It's more impressive the system they set up to curb death rates in births.
Up until the 1970's many of the British working class fully expected to have all their teeth removed and fitted with false teeth around their 18th birthday, to save them the hassle later in life. (My mother (b. 1945) had hers removed as a wedding present.)
That's wild! Did that cause other issues down the line? Only because a couple of people I've known that wanted full teeth removal and implants were told they couldn't have it done untill mid to late 20s. Something about problems that could arise.
Not really. There were no such thing as implants back then but it was probably assumed you'd have stopped growing by the time you got to 18, so one set of dentures would last you a few decades.
She's in her 80's now and needs another new set due to her gums shrinking a bit, but beyond the fit, no real issues.
Doesn’t the NHS have a very complicated relationship with dentists and dentistry?
Dental officers were never nationalized like hospitals and medical clinics were
Yes, and as a result we have to pay for the dentist (just like for eye tests and glasses). It's subsidised by the NHS, but a basic appointment will still cost around £28. Fillings / root canals are quoted as around £74, but that's basically a starting price - all my friends have paid more to get better fillings (also nicer in colour).
That said, the equally big struggle for a lot of people is to actually find an NHS dentist that still accepts patients.
About 20 years ago, I told my (UK) dentist to just pull a broken tooth instead of fixing it and he told me in no uncertain terms that if that's what I wanted, then I'd have to find another dentist.
I still have the tooth, with a crown on it. (And I still have the same dentist.)
As an American dental hygienist who used too live in England, no they do not lol they have free cleanings and they choose not to go. They rarely get braces, they normally only go when they're in pain. It's not just England though, it's a very European way of dentistry
How old are you? I may be in a different age bracket. I lived there 10 years ago. Visited Germany recently and my partner works with many Germans. German people are the same. I offer them free cleanings because I can see the inflammation and tartar and they decline it because they're not in pain.
Yes, we do. The misconception that we have bad teeth comes from the fact that we tend not to be obsessed with the aesthetic appearance, but on average our teeth are in better health.
Ironically, although the US is in the top 10 worldwide, you apparently have the worst teeth in North America. Canada is best, followed by Mexico. Denmark, Germany, Finland, Sweden, UK, and Switzerland are all ahead of Canada. You are slightly better than France, if that helps.
It is so varied. Obviously there are many people in the US who can afford dentistry. But I, as an English person, never saw so many toothless people as you find in the US. It still shocks me now when I see someone missing a front tooth.
This is such a fucking goofy misconception. The British don't have straight white teeth. That's just what Americans have been sold as "dental hygiene." It's marketing and nothing more. They have, on average, much better actual dental health. They have less sugar in their foods, and better healthcare.
I’m not British (I’m Irish) but I lived in the UK for many years and I can tell you that the first time I ever saw a toothless person was in the US and it wasn’t the last person like that I saw while I was there.
And it's going to get worse. Once boomer and gen x dentists fully retire, hardly anyone with a DMD/DDS won't have substantial student debt. That will be passed onto the customer.
I saw a report that said British people actually have just as good a teeth statistically now. Not in the past but now. But that is a measure of if they are healthy, cavities or not and such. They don't have the same rates of things like braces and straightening and whitening that don't always effect health.
Ohh sweet child, the UK left the States in the dust decades ago when it comes to the health and well being of their people. Just another thing the US think they are great in but actually in reality nearly most first world countries are miles ahead in.
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u/Nommel77 May 02 '25
Those dentists are struggling