# Why Do many Brits and Japanese have bad teeth?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [March 13, 2012, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626 "2012-03-13T07:31:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/1 "2012-03-13T07:31:19Z")
Is it just me or do you guys also notice many Brits and Japanese have bad teeth, particularly the front ones?
Yes, I might be stereo-typing these two island nations’ citizens but I’m not really saying they all have bad teeth, ie, it’s just that many of them do have noticeably bad teeth, at least from what I’ve noticed over the years. (I apologize in advance if I’m offending some folks but I don’t mean to; this is a sincere curiosity.)
What could be the reason?
\*
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/2 "2012-03-13T07:34:31Z")
I think your definitions of bad teeth do not match mine. If by “bad teeth” you mean “irregular, do not glow in the dark”, then I don’t consider those bad teeth. So long as they’re healthy and have a good bite, they’re perfectly fine teeth… they merely do not double as nightlights and are the shape they happened to grow rather than the shape a dentist forced them into.
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### Author:  [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/3 "2012-03-13T07:49:35Z")
> [@Nava](#):
>
> I think your definitions of bad teeth do not match mine. If by “bad teeth” you mean “irregular, do not glow in the dark”, then I don’t consider those bad teeth. So long as they’re healthy and have a good bite, they’re perfectly fine teeth… they merely do not double as nightlights and are the shape they happened to grow rather than the shape a dentist forced them into.
Google search of [“Bad teeth” images](http://www.google.com/search?q=BAD+teeth+images&hl=en&safe=off&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=iPteT4CbLsi9twfYmqT3Bg&ved=0CC0QsAQ&biw=1145&bih=630).
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### Author:  [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/4 "2012-03-13T07:58:01Z")
Those pix don’t really show good example of what I mean by “bad teeth” so [here](http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/ss/slideshow-cosmetic-dentistry) are some better examples… if you wanna split hairs.
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### Author:  [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/5 "2012-03-13T08:00:14Z")
Pretty much all the “celebrity bad teeth” pics from that search would fall into the category of " not bad teeth at all" for me
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/6 "2012-03-13T08:15:00Z")
> [@brittekland](#):
>
> Is it just me or do you guys also notice many Brits and Japanese have bad teeth, particularly the front ones?
>
> Yes, I might be stereo-typing these two island nations’ citizens but I’m not really saying they all have bad teeth, ie, it’s just that many of them do have noticeably bad teeth, at least from what I’ve noticed over the years. (I apologize in advance if I’m offending some folks but I don’t mean to; this is a sincere curiosity.)
>
> What could be the reason?
> \*
Where did you notice it? In person? In pirate movies? Context please.
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### Author:  [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/7 "2012-03-13T08:15:23Z")
Because they don’t.
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### Author:  [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/8 "2012-03-13T08:16:50Z")
[TV tropes](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BritishTeeth) has an oddly informative take on this.
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### Author:  [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/9 "2012-03-13T08:19:59Z")
Okay. lemme change the term “bad teeth” to “crooked teeth, buck teeth, and gap tooth, [etc](http://www.japanprobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/yaeba.jpg), [etc](http://takemystockplease.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Austin_Powers_article.jpg), [etc](http://www.cammyfan.com/weekly-rant/teeth.jpg), [etc](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hdMWb_HMuzo/SgfyAO4Yx1I/AAAAAAAADdM/zS3kYE-w0oM/s320/nagasakirina.jpg),[etc](http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/in-japan-theres-a-trend-to-make-straight-teeth-crooked-are-you-attracted-to-physical-imperfection/question-2240591/?page=4&link=ibaf&q=japanese%2Bbad%2Bteeth%2Bimages&imgurl=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ocC4LGQZwEs/SgfxRQUPqkI/AAAAAAAAKHE/9bh90ujWZo4/s400/yaeba046.jpg)”.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/10 "2012-03-13T08:23:25Z")
OK. Dentistry in the UK has conventionally been state-provided, and has focused on health rather than cosmetic appearance.
And because Hollywood is in America.
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### Author:  [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/11 "2012-03-13T08:25:41Z")
> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> OK. Dentistry in the UK has conventionally been state-provided, and has focused on health rather than cosmetic appearance.
>
> And because Hollywood is in America.
Similarly with the rest of Europe, where they have similar teeth “quality” to the UK. Yet Americans seem obsessed with the Brits. Hell, I live in Sweden, allegedly the land of beautiful people, and the teeth are no different to the UK.
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### Author:  [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/12 "2012-03-13T08:26:10Z")
Deleted double post due to weird “database error”
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### Author:  [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/13 "2012-03-13T08:28:30Z")
Okay, so if it is just notions with no basis, where do they come from?
If you watch Japanese TV or movies and also British TV, this is evident… but then I don’t watch much of Swedish TV I have to say.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/14 "2012-03-13T08:28:36Z")
> [@brittekland](#):
>
> Okay. lemme change the term “bad teeth” to “crooked teeth, buck teeth, and gap tooth, [etc](http://www.japanprobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/yaeba.jpg), [etc](http://takemystockplease.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Austin_Powers_article.jpg), [etc](http://www.cammyfan.com/weekly-rant/teeth.jpg), [etc](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hdMWb_HMuzo/SgfyAO4Yx1I/AAAAAAAADdM/zS3kYE-w0oM/s320/nagasakirina.jpg),[etc](http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/in-japan-theres-a-trend-to-make-straight-teeth-crooked-are-you-attracted-to-physical-imperfection/question-2240591/?page=4&link=ibaf&q=japanese%2Bbad%2Bteeth%2Bimages&imgurl=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ocC4LGQZwEs/SgfxRQUPqkI/AAAAAAAAKHE/9bh90ujWZo4/s400/yaeba046.jpg)”.
>
> -
You do realise that Austin Powers is a fictional character, portrayed by a Canadian, and that the teeth are stage prosthetics?
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/15 "2012-03-13T08:29:42Z")
> [@brittekland](#):
>
> Okay, so if it is just notions with no basis, where do they come from?
Where does _any_ racist stereotype come from?
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### Author:  [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/16 "2012-03-13T08:35:12Z")
> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> You do realise that Austin Powers is a fictional character, portrayed by a Canadian, and that the teeth are stage prosthetics?
REALLY? I had no idea… curious why he did that…?
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### Author:  [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/17 "2012-03-13T08:37:33Z")
> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> Where does _any_ racist stereotype come from?
Yes, stereotype but why teeth with these two specific nations’ folks?
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### Author:  [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/18 "2012-03-13T08:41:15Z")
> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> You do realise that Austin Powers is a fictional character, portrayed by a Canadian, and that the teeth are stage prosthetics?
And a deliberate attempt to reinforce the ‘Brits have bad teeth’ stereotype.
Really, the issue isn’t that Brits have bad teeth, rather that Americans go in for a lot of artificial cosmetic dentistry, which makes them have more whitely polished straight teeth than the **rest of the world**. Brits are no different than other nations, except that you probably see more Brits on TV than other nations (because we speak English and produce a lot of TV/film). Plus, it is standard for our TV shows to portray real-looking people rather than Hollywood glossy types.
IME, the ‘Brits have bad teeth’ stereotype is confined to Americans. Other nations peddle stereotypes about our food, or say our men folk are ‘effeminate’, but they don’t mention our teeth.
And my teeth are just fine, TYVM.
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### Author:  [@PrettyVacant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrettyVacant)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/19 "2012-03-13T08:48:31Z")
LOL. Yeah, I really need ‘Hollywood teeth’ to validate my social status.
I’m also getting manly chest implants next week so I feel sooo much better about myself.
Talk about Americans being parochial…
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### Author:  [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-brits-and-japanese-have-bad-teeth/615626/20 "2012-03-13T08:49:45Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#):
>
> Deleted double post due to weird “database error”
I thought you were reiterating. 😛
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