Why is there a stereotype that British people have bad teeth? Do they really have bad teeth?

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• 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

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  by pigeonpower on December 6th, 2006

• I can't believe someone rated me down in comparison to some of the other answers here!

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  by Anonymous on January 11th, 2007

• just another legacy of tony blair's.

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  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!

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  by Prunesquallor on June 13th, 2008

• I heard it's because they are always portrayed as drinking lots of sugary tea.

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  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.

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  by American-In-Training on June 13th, 2010

• American, your answer is as apposite as it is prompt.

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  by Prunesquallor on June 13th, 2010

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• I am with you I am an american and from what i have seen most Americans from the south have np teeth at all so i wouldnt judge other people on what they have if you are just as worst off

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  by shortymcpot3 on June 5th, 2010

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• Yeah, I left a comment earlier about media influences and how ridiculous and false the media can be. I used to live in England for 3 years and grew up with English people in my early teens. I never did notice their teeth to be bad - no more than the Americans. I've only heard this particular stereotype when I moved to the States.

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  by Cheery Cherry on March 29th, 2008

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• Hey I've never been to another country but i believe none of those stereotypes. I hate it when people just assume something about people of another race or people from other countries.

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  by BlackBag the PIRATE on June 6th, 2007

• wow. Amazing.
  
  
  That hurt my feelings............ :) hope you feel good about bashing americans.

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  by travel breeze on July 9th, 2007

• @Blackbag the PIRATE - my point exactly.
  @TravelBreez - read the answer properly. This was my first one, and it may not be obvious but I was responding to the vitriolic response from AmericanInTraining.

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  by Matt Adore on September 18th, 2007

• @travel breeze: I have seen all those stereotypes from American posters on AB.

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  by Prunesquallor on October 16th, 2009

• well i don't know what vitriolic means, but thanks for clarifying. I'll have to look that up. I'm not offended anymore, I don't know why I was before... hmm. stereotypes are quite often very true generalizations and as an American , i know that the stereotypes are very true.

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  by travel breeze on October 19th, 2009

• Thats ridiculous! Not all Germans are Nazis.

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  by jtau1980 on November 9th, 2010

• @jtau1980
  No, they're not. But some people just don't care and automatically think that to be true.
  The stupid people of the world also believe the other statements to be true.

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  by Angelina_S on November 21st, 2010

• This is no different than the stereotypes the rest of you have about Americans...we eat nothing but junk food and fatty foods, we are racist, we are extremely superficial and will pay thousands of dollars to look beautiful, and we don't know anything about the world beyond our own backyards. So yes, maybe we are guilty of stereotyping others in jest, but your statement is hypocritcal. Before you decide to judge people from the Midwest, perhaps you should spend some time there yourself. Most Europeans never get beyond Manhattan and reruns of "Friends"; any American can tell you that is no representation of our country.

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  by dd1122 on January 25th, 2011

• Well, this is hardly fair. As an American, I can tell you that I have NEVER believed a single particle of that nonsense you have posted above. Also, due to the fact that the entire country is BUILT ON THE BACKS OF IMMIGRANTS, we have a very globalized and multinational culture.
  I understand you posted this as a passionate response to some idiot below, but don't you realize that it's still a bit hypocritical, and perpetuates the whole stupid eye-for-an-eye style of argument? I am a pretty young girl, but I and my peers were not raised to think this way.
  P.S. Many of the people from the Midwest (I've lived there before) are some of the most genuine, kindhearted, and hard-working people you will ever know.

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  by Lauren_D3899 on February 7th, 2011

• Hey, I'm an American who grew up in the UK. I don't think that all muslims are suicide bombers. There's a few who aren't.

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  by gcaddicted on March 15th, 2011

• Excuse Me??? I live in the Midwest! I know much of the outside world beyond Minnesota! I've traveled across the US and Canada, and large parts of Mexico, and I've visited Scandinavia, Germany and the UK! I teach at a Spanish-Language school in Minneapolis. I have never believed those stereotypes, besides, I'm an American and have TERRIBLE Teeth, and French people don't smell...Bad at least, they smell more like perfume and cologne. Most of the Muslims I know are kind, decent people, and there reputation has been ruined by a marginal group of extremists.
  
  @Lauren_D3899 Thanks for defending my part of the country! I agree with you 100%.

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  by AudioDruid888 on September 11th, 2011

• Yea okay, and I suppose people from the South (like me) are dumb rednecks who live in the swamps? But I actually live in a nice suburban place. And there's nothing wrong with the Bayou! Louisiana is a nice place and so is Tennessee (where I live). I love my heritage, Finnish and German,etc(but mostly those two). I'd prefer not to leave my home country of America because this is where I belong.

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  by Daniel_B1355 on October 21st, 2011

• @Daniel_B1355 - Southern people are *NOT* dumb...some of the best universities in the US are in the South! I've spent a lot of time in Louisiana, I always enjoy my visits down there...The South and the Upper Midwest (where I'm from) have a lot in common...Good, Honest, Hard-working people populate them!
  
  I had to get two root canals since I typed my other response, so Americans CAN have horrible teeth...

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  by AudioDruid888 on October 22nd, 2011

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• I'm American (Minnesotan to be exact) and I have terrible teeth, No "Hollywood Smile" here :) Although I do drink coffee instead of tea. I am at the dentist quite a lot to fix things up a bit, thank God I have good dental insurance!

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  by AudioDruid888 on September 11th, 2011

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• what does NHS mean?

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  by travel breeze on July 9th, 2007

• sorry NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE. Its all paid for in our taxes.

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  by Mr n Mrs M... on July 9th, 2007

• Wish we had a NHS or similar in the US, I'd rather pre-pay for all me and my families medical (and Dental/Eye) needs in my taxes, rather than paying it out in little chunks every month or so, just seems more efficient to me :)

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  by AudioDruid888 on September 11th, 2011

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• Let's not forget Terry Thomas (may he rest in peace)

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  by gcaddicted on March 15th, 2011

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• We don't care if you learnt about the world or not. Truth is that compared to the UK the percentage of people in the USA that have passports is very very small. In fact ill research. From what I have found.
  
  22% of Americans have a passport. meaning 78% don't.
  71% of British people have a passport, meaning 29% don't.
  
  Dont think i blame the USA of this statistic, You guys have everything right there in the USA why buy a passport? However for you to make the argument that Americans are concerned about the world as much as the rest of us, is just rubbish.
  
  You must also understand that these are not personal attacks on you. Sure you have a passport, and you go around to other countries Great! These comments are aimed at the 78% of US citizens that do not have a passport and do not care for seeing the rest of the world.
  
  "wow. steriotypes are stupid and so are all the steriotypes about Americans."
  
  Really? This is a very risky comment is it not? Ok so lets see, the obesity in the USA.
  
  30% of Americans are obese.
  ((http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/51585.php))
  
  Let me quote a question that was raised.
  the question was as follows:
  
  "How many people in England are obese?"
  
  "Recent research indicates that by 2012 one in three people in the UK will be obese. American is currently the "fattest" country, with Mexico second and the UK third.
  While a Hopkins study concluded that 66 percent of adults and 16 percent of children in America are overweight or obese.
  The World Watch Institute reported in 2000 that the number of people who are overfed but poorly nourished (a staggering 1.2 billion) now equals the number of those who are starving from lack of food."
  
  So that concludes it, the US is the "Fattest country".
  
  So just saying that makes you look like an idiot as you are going against everything this conversation is bringing up.
  
  The UK doesn't have bad teeth, its just as much as the Americans.

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  by Hurriccane on April 24th, 2010

• Add a comment...

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  by travel breeze on May 5th, 2010

• Hurricane. I agree with you. I'm sorry you spent so much time on that comment because I don't argue your points :)

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  by travel breeze on May 5th, 2010

• Again, after your silly comment up there, you really, really need to pay attention. I'm sorry, but this post made you look a little stupid responding to this question with that.
  
  The honest and brutal truth is, most Americans do believe these things.
  Most Americans do believe stupid shit like Canadians living in igloos or English having bad teeth or all Muslims being suicide bombers.
  It's really stupid to believe those things, but again, the honest and brutal truth is that they do. Many other cultures won't think twice about these either though.
  The only reason we were referring to Americans believing these things is because it's an "American in training" that posted up there, and mostly Americans who are responding, and on top of that, it's typically Americans who don't give much thought to these and believe them and Americans who circulate these stereotypes.
  Americans believing these things are not a stereotype. Many of them do believe them. Truths are not stereotypes that can be stopped.
  We;re not bashing the ones who actually give these things thought, we're bashing the stupid who actually believe these things and trust me honey, if you don't start paying attention to what conversations are about and what people are saying before you speak, you're not going to make yourself look very smart in the future.
  
  It's not that they don't know the truth about these things, it's that they don't care to find out the truth.

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  by Angelina_S on November 21st, 2010

• Also, your constantly being offended by the meth head and what have you statements make you look like a fool.
  Again, the honest brutal truth is that in America, and even Canada, we have an over abundance of meth heads.
  Not all of them are, but there are way too many.
  You need to stop responding to these things with "thanks :) i am american" because no one cares and you end up making yourself sound like a brainless tramp.
  Seriously, stop it.

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  by Angelina_S on November 21st, 2010

• @Hurricane, if I lived in a country the size of a postage stamp I too would get a passport and get the f*** out of Dodge. Oh so sad considering the fact that at one point the sun never set on the British empire. Lame attack.

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  by LesMoore on January 17th, 2011

• This conversation, for the most part, was insightful. I will say, because I am proud, I am from the US. However, I am from Texas and so we always say we are from Texas not the US. (: When we say this to people outside the US the think Texas just may be its own country. (:
  
  As for teeth, you should visit the people in the rural areas of the US if you want to see bad teeth. As for not having a passport, our country is giant. We can go to any climate we wish to experience and not need a passport. If you want a different culture, go from the North to the South and just like that you are surrounded by a different type of people. This is just and example. Flying out of country is very expensive and most Americans can't afford to fly so far away. Now in the UK you can fly just a few miles and be in a different country. In Texas I can drive from Austin to El Paso and it takes about 11 hours. If I traveled 11 hours from London how far could I get if I could drive the whole way? We are also isolated. The web and other social media is changing our view of the world.
  
  I am not easily offended and most Americans are not. Now for caring about the world. Look this up, how much money do we give the world compared to the UK or any country for that matter? Americans are some of the most caring people in the world. That offends me. That is all I have to say. Turn that around if you wish.

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  by Jonathan_B9670 on February 3rd, 2011

• Well, this is hardly fair. As an American, I can tell you that I have NEVER believed a single particle of that nonsense you have posted above. Also, due to the fact that the entire country is BUILT ON THE BACKS OF IMMIGRANTS, we have a very globalized and multinational culture.
  I understand you posted this as a passionate response to some idiot below, but don't you realize that it's still a bit hypocritical, and perpetuates the whole stupid eye-for-an-eye style of argument? I am a pretty young girl, but I and my peers were not raised to think this way.
  P.S. Many of the people from the Midwest (I've lived there before) are some of the most genuine, kindhearted, and hard-working people you will ever know.

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  by Lauren_D3899 on February 7th, 2011

• @Jonathan_B9670 - I've been to Texas before, I like it down there...I know what you mean, foreigners listen to me talk and think I'm Canadian...
  
  I've driven from Vermont to Washington and from Minnesota to Texas, I know what you mean -_- It's 6 hours to get from here to Baudette, where our cabin is...in the same state!
  
  Oh, I only partly agree with the rural thing...I live in Minneapolis and I still have bad teeth, my dentist said I was just lucky to get that "bad teeth" gene my Dad had...I'm always at the Dentist every couple of months to shore up my teeth...it is more prevalent in rural areas, but it is in the inner city too...

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  by AudioDruid888 on October 22nd, 2011

• Hi Everyone; My original post makes no sense and I'm surprised anyone responded. I don't know why I was so insecure about being an American, but It's not something I can ever remember feeling. If anyone wants clarification on something I said, please let me know. Again, please ignore the original post . I have no idea what I was even getting at. (or why Angelina and Hurricane got so upset haha wtf? who gets that upset at such a lame post? hahaha she even called me a "tramp" how 80's is that word?)

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  by travel breeze on January 16th, 2012

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• putting chloride in drinking water?!? that would kill you all lol new sterotype all brits are dead lol. i believe its floride

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  by alpbawolf on June 12th, 2010

• @alpbawolf
  They don't put enough chlorine in it to kill you, dumbass.
  They do it to keep the water clean. If you didn't put chlorine in your drinking water, it would be right nasty by the time if got to your kitchen taps and that wouldn't help your teeth at all, let alone the rest of you.
  And yes, it is chlorine they put in the water. Not fluoride.
  Fluoride is what they put in mouthwash and toothpaste.

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  by Angelina_S on November 21st, 2010

• @Angelina_S
  You don't know what you are talking about. Flouride IS added to drinking water. Just not in the UK where everyone has crooked and badly stained teeth. Give me that fake Hollywood smile anyday over the fugglys you see at a British bus stop.

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  by gcaddicted on March 15th, 2011

• you guys are so dumb im american and i know for sure its floride you jackass but yet they do put small amounts of chlorine to kill bacteria just not for your teeth stupid

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  by killahsmilez79 on April 25th, 2011

• sorry for being so rude but please try to learn what you are talking about before you talk about it

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  by killahsmilez79 on April 25th, 2011

• I thought that they put fluoride in the water for that? They put in chlorine to keep it fresh and kill germs and fluoride to help the populations dental health. Wasn't there also a big controversy about fluoridated water in the Late-40s or 50s, something about a connection to Communism or Socialism or something...

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  by AudioDruid888 on September 11th, 2011

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• i know what you mean..there has to be a certain hue to them..can't be like white out lol

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  by Mystical Dim on December 7th, 2009

• I think your father's yellow teeth would have looked a lot better if they'd have been white.

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  by gcaddicted on March 15th, 2011

• They looked fine to me, and they were clearly good teeth.

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  by Prunesquallor on March 15th, 2011

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• I find the "perfectly straight bleached teeth" to look a little...yes, I would call it fake.
  No one's teeth are naturally pure white.
  My teeth aren't perfect, they're a little crooked, but I take care of them and often get commented on them. But ya know, they look real and taken care of.

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  by Angelina_S on November 21st, 2010

• So lets see if I'm understanding you correctly. You said that nearly everyone you went to school with had orthodontic braces and that they have good teeth, just not American style. So what is the difference? Are you saying that the British dentists are putting braces on the teeth of the young people but not actually straightening them completely? Are they leaving them just crooked enough so that people won't think they Americans? My wife works for a dentist. We both whiten our teeth. The rule of thumb is that teeth shouldn't be whiter than the white of the eye.

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  by gcaddicted on March 15th, 2011

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• "trousers" lol

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  by daveHogan on March 13th, 2010

• unless you go to florida or wisconsin or wallmart yes im american im in colorado and i never saw a fat person till i went to a differnt state or wallmart so its their fault

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  by alpbawolf on June 12th, 2010

• Actually, a lot of Americans are overweight.
  Your other points are just silly and are stereotypes that I have never heard, but yes, 30% of the US population is Obese.
  
  "30% of Americans are obese.
  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/51585.php"
  
  It's not a stereotype if it's partially true.
  But I have heard some stupid ones about the US. Like how they think all Canadians live in igloos and whatnot. Seriously, who would be stupid enough believe that?

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  by Angelina_S on November 21st, 2010

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• i guess that was where my question came from. I've been "across the pond"( lol) and saw nothing different ( dentally speaking) so the question crossed my mind on where that particular sterotype came from.

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  by yada yada on April 9th, 2008

• I see your point.
  Thanks for reinforcing that, otherwise I would have gotten offended :D

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  by Derek DuCote on April 10th, 2008

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• Or you could just take care of your teeth. Toothbrushes are affordable. I'm kidding, but seriously, the stereotype is more or less teeth that just aren't taken care of that well at all, whether a dentist is involved or not.
  
  Still, not all English have bad teeth, some do, and some don't I'm part English and I have teeth that aren't perfect (they're not bad, they're just a tad crooked is all), but it's just genetics. My dad's english and has perfect teeth, but the a lot of people in my mom's side of the family have teeth that are a bit cooked.

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  by Angelina_S on November 21st, 2010

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• im british i respect your thought but me and most people i no have good teeth wee just do a simple thing brushing flossing and going dentist every 3 months for a check up

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  by monkeys1 on March 31st, 2010

• I'll think you'll find we do have fluoride in the water.
  
  But yes, we are not as superficial as the Americans.

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  by James_C9549 on September 5th, 2010

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• aw. thats sweet. thanks.:) I am american

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  by travel breeze on July 9th, 2007

• thanks, but that doesnt answer the question of WHERE the stereo type comes from.

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  by yada yada on April 9th, 2008

• what do you mean all of the meth heads about 5 in a million people here are meth heads not a milion and 1

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  by alpbawolf on June 12th, 2010

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• thanks

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  by Banana Breath plays the piano on October 18th, 2009

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• Yes, please do. I'd love to see how many names you can come up with, because three people do not represent the English people any more than a few cousin-loving, toothless hillbillies on Jerry Springer represent the USA.

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  by Arcca-Daton on April 13th, 2010

• Maybe they just don't want the horrible, fake American look?
  
  They don't /have/ to have an excuse.
  
  Oh wait, you're an American teenage girl, by the look of things. Go get daddy's credit card, go shopping and shut up.

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  by James_C9549 on September 5th, 2010

• I cannot believe you choose to stereotype an enitre nation based on three people, one of whom is a complete of-her-face druggy. That's like me turning around and saying that all Americans are either skinny blonde cheerleaders and jocks, or mega fat McDonald's addicts.

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  by Connie_R5142 on January 7th, 2011

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• The children here do get braces if they need them, they don't have to pay for dental treatment whilst they're still in education.

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  by anonymous on November 2nd, 2007

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• "Yes!!! The british do have bad teeth they just don't notice untill they leave England, I know this cause I'm English."
  
  I call BS! English people would refer to themselves as "We", not as "They". Clearly you don't consider yourself English at all.
  
  You're also talking about your own personal experiences, which are not the same as mine or anyone else I know. The NHS have been brilliant to many and the only people I ever hear insult it are those who have no patience and expect everything to be immediately dealt with, no matter how unrealistic that is. The world does not revolve around impatient people.
  
  My Sister was given braces, for free, by the NHS and she received them three weeks after she was told she would need them. This was a couple of years ago and at the time, she was in her late teens and didn't care about how she would be perceived by other people. If someone thinks braces are "Geeky", that is down to the individual's insecurities and the fact that their parents failed to encourage confidence in them, it doesn't represent every English person.

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  by Arcca-Daton on April 13th, 2010

• "the British do have bad teeth they just don't notice until they leave England". Seriously? Are you honestly English. Or British? Because if you were you'd understand that not all British people come from England. It's quite offensive to think that they do. And I've never known anyone to be considered geeky for having braces, except for teens on American kids' TV shows. If your dentist told you you had to pay while you were still in education then you were seriously ripped off. When was the last time you went to Britain, the dark ages?

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  by Connie_R5142 on January 7th, 2011

• seriously why would someone post a false life story?dont call other people liars unless you know for sure. and i mean COME ON of course the british have worse teeth on average, however it is equally absurd to believe that all brits have bad teeth.

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  by Cullen_F on July 4th, 2011

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• It's not virtually non-existent at all. It's very common for people's teeth to deteriorate over time.
  
  Oh, and did you know that on average, Americans have twice as many fillings as British people? Just saying...

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  by James_C9549 on September 5th, 2010

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• I am a Brit, who remained in Britain and i had four teeth removed to make room for the rest plus i didnt need to cross the pond and pay to have it done!

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  by duncan.cowan on September 26th, 2010

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• where in britian do u live cose most people in london have good teeth

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  by monkeys1 on March 31st, 2010

• And you don't see that in your own country?
  
  Bullshit.

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  by James_C9549 on September 5th, 2010

• I agree, but then again I'm from South Wales so I'm bound to be biased :P But to be honest I've been all over the UK and I've never ever seen teeth as bad as you've described... unless your talking about unemployed alcoholics who live under bridges. But every country has those, so I'd say the whole 'British people have bad teeth' stereotype is unfounded and rediculous. Not to mention childish name-calling.

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  by Connie_R5142 on January 7th, 2011

• WATCH....AUSTIN....POWERS!! and our problems will be solved

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  by Cullen_F on July 4th, 2011

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• So do I. My teeth are perfect.
  
  You do realise that most US citizens have British ancestry somewhere?

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  by James_C9549 on September 5th, 2010

• I'm American and have completely French, not Brit ancestry. =)

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  by Kayley_D on December 15th, 2010