# Do Britishers really have bad teeth? If so, why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 11, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022 "2003-06-11T02:14:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/41 "2003-06-12T16:51:16Z")
Well, that sounds about right (actually on the cheap side), so its definitely not the “more expensive” arguement. Where I live (not the most expensive part of the US) a quick checkup is about $50, a single filling is about $100, and a root canal + crown reconstruction is $1600. Of course you can always pop down to the dental school (of a major University) to be worked on for cheap. My dental insurance pays 100% on checkups twice a year, 75% on fillings, and 50% on the more expensive work. It took me quite a while to pay off my wisdom teeth, root canal and crown all in one year (cost about $3,000 or so). OTOH, extreme dental expenses are tax-deductable. I think most Americans do prefer to save their teeth when possible… having missing teeth is a huge scoial stigma and totally unheard of if you do any manner of professional work. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/42 "2003-06-13T03:49:37Z")
Regarding the above discussions of “braces” and “suspenders” – in the United States, bands or straps used to hold up socks are called “garters.” Is this usage unknown in Old Blighty? What about the Order of the Garter? ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/43 "2003-06-13T04:51:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BrainGlutton \* > \*\*Regarding the above discussions of “braces” and “suspenders” – in the United States, bands or straps used to hold up socks are called “garters.” Is this usage unknown in Old Blighty? What about the Order of the Garter? \*\* It is seen, yes, as the Cub Scouts have (or at least used to have) garters holding up their socks. I believe this usage is more common when referring to women’s clothes these days, but I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/44 "2003-06-13T06:22:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*Yeah, I agree it’s shockingly expensive… but it’s not just that. I know a frightening number of people who just never go at all. \*\* Yeah, but the point is there would probably be a lot fewer people who never went at all if it wasn’t so expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Quantum\_Butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e79b87/32.png) [@Quantum\_Butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quantum_Butterfly)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/45 "2003-06-13T06:47:35Z")
Ahh yes, American cosmetic dentistry. I see the point of braces. My teeth at 20 yrs. old are quite sensitive because my uncorrected overbite has worn the enamel thin. (Why uncorrected? I was dealing with other medical problems as a preteen and teen, and my parents decided that the stress of braces would just be too much.) But artificial whitening… no. I don’t want to spend any more time and money in the dentist’s chair than I have to! My teeth are presentable now. They don’t need to be ice-white for me to be beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![raygirvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@raygirvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raygirvan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/46 "2003-06-13T08:04:02Z")
_garter_ A male garter is a little elastic loop folded up inside the top of the sock (not the same as a sock suspender). A female garter these days is ritual rather than functional (mainly restricted to the brides’ ceremonial garter). ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/47 "2003-06-13T12:17:01Z")
Many year’s ago, when I went to Junior school in short trousers ,we wore elastic suspenders to keep our socks up. ---
**Author:** ![mr-monday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@mr-monday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr-monday)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/48 "2003-06-13T12:31:09Z")
I’m a 27 year old Brit with braces. In my case they were never offered to me when I was at schooland I never asked. Once my wisom teeth came through my front teeth became more crooked so I decided to do something about it. So I’ve had to pay to get my brace. If anyone else is in a similar situation to me, I’d say go for it. I did feel self conscious about them at first, being in my late 20’s, but no one really cares. Things in the UK have changed a lot in the past 5-10 years, so now I’d say most kids have braces if they need them. In London at least. ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/49 "2003-06-13T14:21:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > **When the Bee Gees ‘returned’ to England from the US, they all had perfect white teeth, which used to be a target for mockery on TV shows** This reminds me of an episode of “So Graham Norton.” Donny Osmond was the guest, and Graham told him that as a child growing up in Ireland, he had been fascinated with the sheer whiteness of the Osmonds’ teeth. The camera zoomed in to show the contrast between Donny and Graham’s teeth–Graham’s teeth didn’t seem very yellow, until you saw them next to Donny’s blindingly white teeth. That was a very funny episode of “So Graham Norton,” by the way. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2015, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/50 "2015-09-13T02:35:13Z")
Resurrecting this ancient thread because I have recently discovered [George Formby](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Formby). Quite talented, likable fellow, catchy tunes, “So it all turned out nice in the end,” but his grill was the stuff of nightmares! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/51 "2015-09-13T04:04:17Z")
A great singer; but I always feel he could never achieve popularity in America because they couldn’t ever perceive the hidden ambiguities and subtle double entendres in his lyrics. Which were often written by his wife and manager Beryl. However he was considered odd-looking at the time, even for someone from Lancashire. Something like [**I Wonder Who’s Under Her Balcony Now**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCRG4IWCLPg) could just as well be Coptic. [spoiler]Things have gone wrong, with my love song I’m not serenading tonight. In my place there’s somebody new, doing the things that I ought to do. I wonder who’s under her balcony now, who’s kissing my girl Will he kiss her under the nose, Or underneath the archway where the Sweet William grows If he’s fresh and gets too free, I hope a bulldog bites him in the place it bit me. I wonder who s under her balcony now, who’s kissing my girl. I wonder who’s under her balcony now, who’s kissing my girl. Will he kiss her under the nose, or underneath the archway where the Sweet William grows. I will bet ten to one, there’s not a thing that he can do that I haven’t done. I wonder who’s under her balcony now, who’s kissing my girl. I wonder who’s under her balcony now, who’s kissing my girl. Will he kiss her under the nose or underneath the porch way where the Sweet William grows. May he fall, feel a wreck, and stagger home with half the trellis work round his neck. I wonder who’s under her balcony now, who’s kissing my girl. I wonder who’s under her balcony now, who’s kissing my girl. Will he kiss her under the nose, or underneath the archway where the Sweet William grows. I hope he, catches the lot, when she empties out her old geranium pot . I wonder who’s under her balcony now, who’s kissing my girl.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2015, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/52 "2015-09-13T05:08:26Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/53 "2015-09-16T03:43:57Z")
Of course, could be worse; [could be Irish](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4v6aNjGFFk). ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/54 "2015-09-16T08:14:02Z")
An American dentist once told me this was a byproduct of how UK dentists are compensated. Something about how they get paid primarily by the encounter rather than by the procedure. So they have an incentive to fix only one thing at a time, then have you come back later for another session. Naturally people don’t always come back and/or they put it off, so tooth decay advances. Sounded like a reasonable just so story at the time but I’ve never bothered to look further into it. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/55 "2015-09-16T08:45:08Z")
It’s more a culture thing I believe. Americans expect to pay for healthcare so they budget for it. There is also the ‘Hollywood’ smile that it seems everyone is expected to have. In the UK, nearly all healthcare is “free at the point of delivery”. Dental care is also free for children, but there is no financial incentive for dentists to fit braces unless there is a serious problem. As soon as people stop getting free care, they tend to stop going to the dentist. This is not to say the the British are less hygienic and brush their teeth less often., but there is less cultural pressure here, outside the media, for those perfect teeth. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/56 "2015-09-16T08:58:17Z")
Maybe thats why Luis Suarez left Liverpool. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/57 "2015-09-16T09:10:49Z")
It has, from time to time, depended on whether you get a dentist to treat you on the NHS at all (there was quite a time when an awful lot just refused the contract or limited their NHS patients in effect to those on benefits of one kind or another); and if you did, the NHS is a medical rather than cosmetic service, so there would need to be a good clinical, rather than cosmetic, reason for treatment. Way back in the 1950s, I would be seen by the local authority’s Schools Dental Service, which was basically fillings and extractions, and later our family dentist who I think was with the NHS, but things like braces never came on to the agenda. NHS dental treatment has never, or not since the first few years, been entirely free of charge to the patient, but the charges are tightly controlled (hence the periods of reluctance by dentists to sign up). Certainly for the last ten years or so, the charges are banded according to the whole course of treatment needed, so I assume what the dentist gets from the NHS is too. Could still be an incentive to avoid treatments unless clinically necessary, though. I had two “extra” teeth, one on the top set back behind a gap, and one on the bottom which was in effect, completely double-banked. But they were both healthy, and no dentist ever suggested cosmetic realignment. I had to persuade them to take the opportunity of my wisdom teeth extraction to get rid of the bottom one, which was completely redundant, but they were very discouraging about trying to remove the top one, since it would mean braces to move at least one other (and I wasn’t keen on that in my 30s) - and no dentist since has ever said anything about it. And it’s still healthy and not difficult to clean, so why would they? ---
**Author:** ![Doughbag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Doughbag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doughbag)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/58 "2015-09-16T17:12:07Z")
It’s US American people that are known to have bad teeth… _must be the genetics, fast food, culture, healthcare & education_ [Steve Buscemi](http://www.rantchic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/2.jpg) [Mike Tyson](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ef68fp7b93E/SAmL2J2mPCI/AAAAAAAAAKM/KWklCzDtiyk/s320/6a00d83451e84869e200e54f2104c18833-800wi.jpg) [Tom Cruise](http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/2014-05/enhanced/webdr08/1/8/grid-cell-17427-1398947585-0.jpg) [Morgan Freeman](http://files.shandymedia.com/images/photos/hollyscoop/p182jr5lkahi07hujdt16cl173j4.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/59 "2015-09-17T08:03:26Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > What’s wrong with “Britishers”? The -er ending means ‘one who’. You are saying either ‘One who Britishes’, which is meaningless, or ‘one who hails from British’, which is equally meaningless. ‘Englander’ is about the closest potential match, and far more stilted and archaic than Briton. Britainner is unaccepatble because ‘Briton’ is the correct form, if for no other reason. Why not “Britishesses”? I thought that the ‘er’ ending was for males and ‘ess’ was for females. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022/60 "2015-09-17T08:22:18Z")
An interesting point. However if someone says ‘Britisher’, I am at liberty to assume they are Colonials under the far-flung flag who were aged about 80 in the 1930s. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britishers-really-have-bad-teeth-if-so-why/181022.md?page=4)