- NEW!
by lady fuschia on March 28th, 2006
Well- in terms of actually having "bad" teeth, I'm not sure that there is much more tendency than the rest of the world, although we do sometimes refer to something called a "Hollywood smile" or "All American Smile" - very white, straight and probably cosmetically enchanced teeth, associated with the US, which is sometimes viewed as being quite fake.
One possible explanation for the rumour is that its incredibly difficult to get a dentist in Britain (particularly if you live in Wales!). Unlike most medical treatments it doesn't come free on the NHS and we get quite resentful about having to pay for it. NHS dentists (the cheaper kind) are becoming like gold dust as they increasingly defect to the better paid Private sector, which is out of most people's price range (£40 for a check up? I don't think so...). I personally know of people who have to travel 200 miles or more to visit a dentist with space on their books - its hardly suprising that a large number of us decide to take our chances and not bother, possibly resulting in a greater tendency towards bad teeth.
Although just for the record, there's nothing wrong with *my* teeth!
by staffie on January 9th, 2007
hey ive never heard this comment im british and i am very clean thankyou. my teeth are in excellent condition as i brush them twice a day and yes they are white. as for american in trainings comments they are disrispectful. i cant believe you are saying the british are dirty this is sooooooooo untrue.
by katya4 on March 22nd, 2008
I think that TV has alot with stereotypes about teeth, whether it be British having bad teeth and Americans having white, perfect teeth. When you think of Hollywood you see perfect teeth because they have been modified in 90% of the time. So it is easy to make that assumption that all Americans have those types of teeth. But as an American I can tell you that I have seen many people with poor choppers. On the other hand, what exposure I have on TV of British film and television I see stained teeth, missing teeth and teeth which need braces quite often. But I have British friends and in-laws who have perfect teeth. My point being that if you base your impressions on the media alone it is easy to see how these types of assumptions can be made.
by Gonzo on July 9th, 2007
Hah!! I dont think there's much of a link between British people and bad teeth. Of course, some do have bad teeth, but I dont think we're any worse than any other nation.
by Matt Adore on June 1st, 2007
Whilst American teeth may generally be better than British, the issue is not one of hygiene but one of stereotyping. According to many Americans:
- All Brits have bad teeth
- All French smell
- All Germans are Nazi's
- All Irish are drunk
- All Muslims are suicide bombers
Etc. etc. Not wanting to go down the same path myself, I have met many Americans (particularly the ones who take the time to leave their own country and experience the wider world) who are not bigots. But unfortunately, the USA is a big country with many people who have no idea what the world is like beyond the mid-west.
by Lydia on December 26th, 2006
my teeth are fine, im english, and my families teeth are all fine, and they all drink tea!! im sure ive seen some americans with bad teeth, and some other contries with no teeth atal. Maybe American dentist are of better standard than ours generally.
by Mr n Mrs M... on July 9th, 2007
Absolutely false!
Until I was 16, We recieved on our NHS system, dental care. I'm my time I have had 4 teeth removed, braces top and bottom, regular check-up's and cleaning work, and fillings! if you consider the cost of this privately in another country, I would probably say English people have the most frequently checked and serviced Gnashers!
by anonymous on November 2nd, 2007
No. No more than anywhere else anyway. Dental treatment is free to children whilst they're still in education, if a child needs braces then they will have braces.
I'm not sure where this stereotype comes from, maybe because the older generation didn't have as much access to dental treatment back then with the war and everything, so some old people have crooked teeth. That's all I can think of.
by mangotree on January 10th, 2007
yeah there is a stereotype but i dont believe it to be totally true.
by celticmoonlight on October 18th, 2009
no british men i know have bad teeth. are you perhaps living in steotypicitown?
by Limey 33 on January 4th, 2008
N0, we do not have bad teeth! I'm sorry to say that this stereotypical view is just the result of American insularity to the rest of the world. Yes, Tom Cruise has perfect teeth and so does Jessica Simpson. But equally does David Beckham and Emma Watson. There is clearly no diiference. Americans seem to think they compare the teeth of a whole nation by a few movie stars and Tony Blair- who of which had bad teeth. But no, we do not have bad teeth!
by travel breeze on July 9th, 2007
wow. steriotypes are stupid and so are all the steriotypes about Americans.
I am so sick of hearing "Many Americans believe, Many Americans are meth heads"
I am American and I do my part in learning about the world.
I have traveled south america and all of Europe and I don't appreciate hearing that Americans don't know what is past the Mid-West.
Saying that while trying to prove a point of ignorance is contradicting yourself.
I am sick of being bashed because of where I was born.
(And for the record I am an Independant, I do understand the animosity towards Bush.)
by .avallach on June 4th, 2007
One of my favorite scenes in the TV show Angel:
Holtz: What of England? Has it survived the years and destruction?
Sahjhan: Yes. It went through a rough patch about sixty years ago, but it's mostly unchanged. Warm beer, boiled meat, bad teeth. That's why I moved to LA. Have you followed this part of the history? American Revolution, manifest destiny, westward expansion, the Beach Boys?
by Annallon on January 18th, 2007
Back in the 50s when the appearance of teeth became important in America and such, it was just after the WW2 here. Peoples teeth were in such a bad condition that the country apparently started putting chlorine in water to make it easier to keep their teeth clean. It isnt like this anymore, sure, a few people do have bad teeth but it is nothing on a scale like it was 50 years ago.
by Anonymous on December 7th, 2009
We don't. Celebrities do, even the bloody corgi-loving bastard royal family, but most people in England actually have good teeth.
by Prunesquallor on October 16th, 2009
Ok, UK here. Well my father had yellow teeth, and died in his seventies without ever losing one. That is what *I* call good teeth. Whiteness does not equal strength.
Actually, I find excessively white teeth rather ugly.
by Irisibis on October 16th, 2009
I think older generations of Brits, those over 40, often have bad teeth. Both my parents have terrible teeth.
Younger people, those under 35 at least, have nearly all got lovely teeth - orthodontic treatment was nearly universal when I was at school, unless your teeth were naturally pretty good.
Among my friends, all in our twenties, I think I have virtually the worst teeth - in that they are not 'hollywood straight' because I did not have braces.
My teeth are pretty crooked, and yet in spite of that I quite often get compliments about them. Compliments are often followed by the phrases 'nice natural teeth' and 'not horrible and fake like American teeth'.
Basically, although the Brits like teeth to be relatively straight, and relatively white-ish, we find the American look offputting.
Having teeth that are too straight or too white, or obviously aided by orthodontics, is not considered attractive. Over-white teeth are not considered attractive, and neither are super-straight ones.
A common description of perfect American teeth is that they look like they have too many teeth. It is thought of as too fake and not good to have that "perfect arches and super-white teeth" look here.
I think it is a wider cultural standard - just as Brits don't like that really well-groomed look and prefer something a bit edgier and more individual.
Young Brits have good teeth, but not American style. I don't know any younger person who doesn't take care of their teeth, either.
I think the problem is that most famous Brits are of an older generation - the vast majority of Brits known to Americans are over 40. Times have changed, and those that grew up in the 70s or later have straighter, whiter teeth.
by Anonymous on June 13th, 2008
From what I've heard, it originates around the same time as the nickname "Limey". That is to say, when American sailors encountered their British equivalents during the 19th century. Limes were sucked on to prevent scurvy, but the acids also tended to erode enamel of the teeth, making them more prone to decay and damage. The American sailors would generally return home with tales of how terrible British teeth were (and, even by the standards of that era on both sides of the Atlantic, they were pretty bad for the reasons stated) and that spread, encompassing not just the sailors but the whole of the British populace.
by Freddy Says remove all moderation points on May 19th, 2008
Because one has to stereoptype a nation. All US citizens are fat, loud and wear "one size fits all" trousers.
No, we do not. No more than any other nation.
by Derek DuCote on March 29th, 2008
There shouldn't be a stereotype!
My teeth are just as white, straight and neatly aligned as anybody elses.
It's really unfair that people think this about Brits.
by slothmister on July 9th, 2007
I am british and I have terrible teath! I think it is something to do with the outragously priced dental care system in the UK!
by Scifisuz on July 9th, 2007
In general, Americans (age 6+) see the dentist on a regular basis for cleaning as well as when there's a problem.
This is separate from brushing and flossing at home.
Of course, there are always exceptions and many photos can be found of toothless Okies or folks in the Ozarks who have never seen a dentist or a toothbrush.
by yada yada on July 9th, 2007
wow, so I guess it comes down to the lack of access to *good dental care?
Here's what I have heard: That the reason the English have bad teeth is the lack of floride in their water.
Now please, don't call me names or diss my thought too hard. This is just what I heard. So far, I think it's a good theory.
OR maybe JUST maybe, the English are just not as superficial as us Americans?
We do tend to obsess a little about or looks; Europeans tend to be a little more lax on this issue. So maybe they don't go out and spend a gwap of cash on whittening, braces, cleanings, fillings, bridges, crowns, invisible braces, zoom, yada yada yada, you get the point....
The reason I say this is, when I look at some "stars" who obviously have the cash to spend on a dental makeover, they simply DON'T. So obviously if it's not a priority to British and English celebrities that are in the lime light constantly, why the hell would it be on the to do list of a 'commoner"??????
As always, "please, excuse my grammer and punctuation"
by muddy1 on June 4th, 2007
I thinl AIT is just trying to wind people up. I thought americans had worsed teeth because of all the junk they eat and all the meth heads over there.
by Kayley_D on December 15th, 2010
Well I'm an American...
*stands and sings "The Star Spangled Banner."
*then proceeds to kiss a portrait of Obama and The Statue of Liberty holding hands.
....Haha. jussssst kidding.
While it may be true that there is truth to some generalizations, that could be said about anything...
It may be more common for adults to regularly get dental services and routine checkups in the States, but ultimately taking care of teeth is up to the individual's mouth that they are in, therefore regardless of where you are from, some people will have good teeth and some will not.
who makes these ignorant statements, anyway? Can we proceed to throw stones at "society"...whoever they may be?
That's all. =)
by Gone on October 18th, 2009
Fear of dentists !!
+5
by sasha. on May 19th, 2008
I dont think its a sterotype at all. From what I've observed even British CELEBRITIES have bad teeth... what's their excuse? Amy Winehouse, Estelle, Elton John, shall I continue?
by Josie98 on March 29th, 2008
lack of NHS dentists. My teeth are sparkling.
by Anonymous on November 2nd, 2007
I have been told it's because most English don't like to pay for things they're used to getting on NHS, IE dentists, orthodontists etc. Also, it's not a standard to have perfect white, straight teeth. Versus in America, it's standard to get braces as a teen and usually it's paid out of pocket. It's culture people, Americans do it cause they just do! English dont cause they just dont
by strange1 still in pb on October 18th, 2009
cheeky or what !its certainally not due to exessive junk food, youve made me want to brush my teeth now! again! bad teeth indeed!
by Laura_H8942 on March 12th, 2011
I'm Brithish and my teeth are perfectly fine, thank you very much...
by Elysia_J on March 13th, 2011
Hi People, I'm a British Citizen. I'm 17 years old and currently in sixth form, I'm still covered by the NHS as I'm still in education. I've had no dentistry on my teeth, so I am sorry to say that not all British people have horrible teeth, I know we have the service provided though we British civilains do take pride of taking care of our teeth. You may critize about our horrendous teeth, though atleast we take care of our health. People who are mainly poor on oral hygiene are the low class civialans, due to lack of NHS dentistry it's hard to get treatment.
by gcaddicted on March 15th, 2011
Q: How can you teel that the toothbrush was invented in the UK?
A: Because if it was invented anyplace else it would have been called a TEETHBRUSH!
by Joshua_C7585 on May 30th, 2011
my teeth are perfect and white and i am british so this is to the people who say that we have bad teeth f**k you.
by Laura_H8942 on March 12th, 2011
I'm British and I have perfectly normal teeth, just saying.
by Carlos_Z on January 28th, 2011
Free medicine? Who do you think pays for it? The tax paying public does, not the tooth fairy.
by ngoun on February 7th, 2010
Yes!!! The british do have bad teeth they just don't notice untill they leave England, I know this cause I'm English. All my friends that I thought had good teeth really do not, they were just not as bad as mine.
And people above have been saying that English kids get free braces, this is NOT true. My sister was on the list for 3 years and then they said it would be another 2 years and we would have to pay, because the NHS no longer does. Also I had terrible teeth and no dentist ever mentioned braces and also never mentioned even flossing and professional cleanings.
British NHS dentists are crap, I only had one good one about 15 years ago and he was close to retirement.
Treatment may be more expensive in North America, but it is worth it and with Insurance it is not that bad.
Also in England braces are seen as really geeky and lame so no one wants them. In Canada all my friends have had braces and now I have them at age 21. In England I would NEVER EVER have braces at age 21 and even though it is so annoying now, it is so worth it and I'm so glad I got them.
And people in North America do have bad teeth, but not at all as many people as the UK.
by daveHogan on March 13th, 2010
No, stereotypes are true silly.
by Arcca-Daton on April 13th, 2010
People can make an ignorant comment about England's teeth if it makes them feel better, but that doesn't make it accurate. Schadenfreude can be amusing, but I live in South-East London, England, so my opinion is based on a lifetime of experience and unless people can produce supporting evidence to back-up their claims, I'm afraid their opinion means less than nothing.
Most of the people I know have nice, clean and healthy teeth and considering teeth aren't meant to be bright white in the first place, those who do have them probably had them dyed or bleached, which is just vain, unnecessary and speaks volumes about the insecurities of the individuals themselves. The people I know who do have bad teeth, only have stained teeth due to excessive tea/coffee/alcohol drinking or smoking.
by bytheknuckles on August 6th, 2010
I'm not a fan of stereotypes, in particular. Hell, as an American, I'm not even particularly a fan of Americans. However, this "stereotype" is one I have a hard time disagreeing with.
Two theories I've heard:
I'm somewhat intrigued by this "Fluoride in American water but not British" argument, though I'd be hesitant attribute anything entirely to that.
I had a college (primate-specialized) anthropology professor state that the heavy chewing required to eat vegetables and meat leads to straighter and stronger teeth, but the implementation of utensils (spoons and forks) is a handicap and causes weaker teeth. It seemed viable at the time, and out of any culture, the Brits are the most associated with this sort of "class" that used and made popular such utensils (vs finger-eating, or chopsticks, for example). Still, the rest of the western world uses spoons and forks now just as regularly and doesn't suffer the same stereotype.
Given only this info, any objective alien would guess that Brits don't have poor teeth and it's an ill-formed stereotype, but having lived in both America and the UK, I know for a fact this isn't the case. My intention here isn't to offend any Brits; I KNOW for a fact that dental hygiene is no less frequent amongst Brits, and if anything it seemed more frequent -- still, teeth are much worse.
I don't think it's genetics either, particularly given that a large portion of the American population comes/came from the UK. So what the hell is going on? I'm asking more than anything.
THIS:
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01449/princess_margaret_1449407c.jpg
to THIS:
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41756000/jpg/_41756252_margaret.jpg
is virtually nonexistent in America amongst high-profile, even moderately wealthy ANYONE.
by Cullen_F on July 4th, 2011
honestly watch auston powers and this question will be answered, because of course austin wouldnt lie to us
by Zack on July 4th, 2011
They are no different than any other group of people in this world.
by uktodd on February 13th, 2009
I am a Brit and when I came to the US as a child I had over six teeth removed. If I had not I would have my teeth all over the place and would have fit the stereotypical image of a British smile. My dentist and orthodontist said that my jaw was too small for the number of teeth I had. If my case it typical then had I not had the six years of braces and many pulled teeth then I might had found myself in the same state as my cousins who do not have the frequency of access to dentists and never orthodontist and therefore horrible teeth.
by UchihaKyori on May 27th, 2009
I think the bad teeth came from tv mostly. As for American stereotype of not knowing anything outside of America, what do they think we do doing in World History, and Spanish, italian, french, etc. etc. class? In world language you learn all about the country junior and senior year.
by noKE llz on May 27th, 2009
steriotypes aside. one thing is they dont have floride in their water like we do. but teeth is all about matenience, all sorts of people have bad teeth.
by Maos on January 30th, 2010
I am an European who lives in UK. I have seen rotting yellow and brown teeth, chipped teeth, missing teeth, stained teeth and absolutely disgusting teeth. Lot of people I know do not brush their teeth twice a day and hence have brown staines and bad breath. Lot of them have not visited a dentist for years.
I do know people who have white healthy teeth and who take care of them.
Best teeth I have seen are in south Wales.
by Green syphon on August 1st, 2008
honestly i think it is a load of crap i am british i have healthy teeth yeh they may not look as white as you think because i am a smoker the only people that hardly have teeth are the people who take druggs or eat sweats and drink fizzy drinks or get into fight's as you get older your teeth get stronger the time your teeth are at there strongest is when you are in your 20's then through out your 20's they start getting weaker then when you get old they just start falling out cause you put them through so much with the sugar in the stuff you like they start deacaying and get weaker then they will eventualy fall out
by Anonymous on June 13th, 2008
Yes we do have bad teeth but then maybe so do other nations
by Slim746 on March 29th, 2008
Maybe they are referring to the midieval "Theodoric of York" character as portrayed by Steve Martin on SNL. He and some of the cast members in that skit were made up to have bad teeth.
by Shes Country on May 19th, 2008
I have some British Ancestors and I have had bad teeth all of my life. Thank goodness for modern dental procedures, it's hard to tell. also my Great Grandmother had bad teeth too, she had denture by the time she was 20 and that was in the early 1900s. So their might be something to the idea of British people having bad teeth.
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Comments
exactly the 2 points I would've made!
An american kid once said to me "are you English cos your teeth look like you drink tea" :s
by pigeonpower on December 6th, 2006
I can't believe someone rated me down in comparison to some of the other answers here!
by lady fuschia on January 11th, 2007
just another legacy of tony blair's.
by trig on June 1st, 2007
Excellent answer. Don't worry about the downrating - some of the best answers get downrated. I think there are some people who don't like good answers!
by Prunesquallor on June 13th, 2008
I heard it's because they are always portrayed as drinking lots of sugary tea.
by ACCOUNT CLOSED on August 1st, 2008
LF's answer amply demonstrates why many people in Britain have bad teeth - bad attitudes and the wrong approach to health.
You don't want to pay X for dental check ups/dental work but what price do you put on your health? When its gone, its gone.
The NHS was and is a dog of a health service and in recent years, it has been responsible for the deaths of many people, because of their BS and unbelievable attitudes and decisions towards people.
You can have a good and positive experiences with the NHS, but its generally not expected. Now I am in the USA, I find I am paying a bit more overall for health-related costs (health insurance, if you get it through your job, is on par with NI deductions), but its so worth it and I have had only positive experiences with services and staff here, who are so different from my long British experiences.
E.G. smart medical offices, modern equipment and techniques, happy positive and very knowledgeable staff including admin staff who always seem to love their jobs and smile at you when you come in, etc., and YOU choose who you want to go and see and also when.
Appointments are easy to get, same or next day in most cases.
The "lack of a dentist in my area" aspect is a recent UK problem and so it is not responsible for the historical state of people's teeth in Britain.
However, the lack of focus by successive British governments to provide proper funding for dentistry, an essential service in my view, exemplifies, with crystal clarity, the indifferent and disinterested British approach to this aspect of their health and which corroborates my answer to this question.
by American-In-Training on June 13th, 2010
American, your answer is as apposite as it is prompt.
by Prunesquallor on June 13th, 2010