teeth

[korp]

I moved to London two years ago, English people are famous in Europe for their bad teeth. I have to say that was proven more or less accurate. A lot of English people have very bad teeth, I won't go into why since I don't want to bore anyone (ask if u want my theory). But I was wondering, Japanese people are also kinda famous for having bad teeth, is this true? I have myself never been there so I don't know. If this is true, then why is this? If it is not true then why did this rumour start?

With bad teeth I mean, crocked teeth, teeth growing in the pallet other places where they should not and stuff like that. English are more famous for having rotten, yellow teeth.

I know this is kinda prejudice, but the stereotypical pictures are still there and it would be fun to know why and the degree of truth

 

[nice gaijin]

It seems that orthodontics isn't a high priority, and many people have some pretty messed up grills. An interesting response to this situation, I've noticed, is that the 八重歯 (double tooth) is considered a cute/desirable trait.

However, most of the people I know with crooked teeth still take really good care of them.

 

[korp]

double tooth? Whats that?

and yeah Japanese are more famous for white, clean and nice teeth, but growing all over hehe. English people are, as I stated, for brown, rotting and "what is a tooth brush??" bad teeth.

Just playing on the stereotypes now, I not saying its true, Hope no one takes offence

 

[bluepilot]

I am British (Scottish) and some people here in the Uk have awful teeth.

Before I went to Japan I thought that many Japanese people had lovely pearly whites

But then...woah

You would meet some people with a nice face who looked really clean and tidy but then they would smile and you felt like jumping back at the sight of their teeth.

I knew one guy who was 24 and his whole mouth was filled with gold crowns. Another guy, my sempai, at 22 had teeth which were mostly black, his friend had several teeth missing

So, I would say that quite a few of the people I knew had appalling teeth. I have never met anyone else in the UK as such. However my friend is a dentist, one of her patients needed false teeth at 18 because he took such poor care of them

The British government put fluroxide in the water in some parts to the Uk to help fight tooth decay. The result, those who DO look after their teeth get white flecks on them...

...I have to save up for expensive lazer treatment to get rid of mine, I would not care too much but they are on my front teeth and so they really stand out...boo...

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

The British government put fluroxide in the water in some parts to the Uk to help fight tooth decay. The result, those who DO look after their teeth get white flecks on them...
...I have to save up for expensive lazer treatment to get rid of mine, I would not care too much but they are on my front teeth and so they really stand out...boo...

Its not "fluroxide" its "fluoride". White flecks only build up on the teeth when you overdose on the stuff (it is called "Dental fluorosis") and only occurs because of the excessive intake of fluoride and fluorosis tends to happen largely in childhood and it is largely a cosmetic condition.

Fluoride does actually occur naturally in water supplies (and always has done)- in fact this is how its beneficial effect on teeth was first noticed (people noticed those who lived in area's where there were levels of fluoride naturally occurring in the water tender to have better teeth i.e less tooth decay, than those who didn't live in such area's).
The fluoridation of water prevents tooth decay and is considered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as "one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century". Fluoride is found in more than water though, for example numerous types of dental hygiene products and some types of salt contain it.


So basically, Dental Fluorosis does not happen to those who look after their teeth better than others, it can happen to anyone regardless of how well you look after you teeth and purely comes about to a sustained excessive intake of fluoride. I look after my teeth very well and i do not have fluorosis simply because i have not been exposed to/consumed fluoride excessively.

 

[bluepilot]

fluoride (learned something new today) is not a bad thing

Adding extra fluoride on the other hand...

Makes me look like I ate toothpaste as a child

 

[Emoni]

Not sure myself, but I saw a hell'uva a lot of frightening smiles in Japan that always left me wondering if their mouths physically HURT from not getting braces or the correction they clearly needed.

 

[Kinsao]

Well I'm English and my teeth are fairly crooked, but that's just me. I had LOADS of dental work as a child and teenager, which pretty much saved me from having an actual deformity of the mouth, more or less - so I'm lucky in one way, but even all that work wasn't able to save me from having crooked teeth. I can only say that they are a lot better than they would have been without the work. Basically my top jaw was too narrow for my teeth, and it had to be artificially widened, and then some work on straightening my teeth - but over the years some of them have 'settled' back a little.

Also my teeth are quite yellow, but that's not due to lack of brushing - I try and keep good dental hygiene, always brushing at least twice a day and for a good long time, so I reckon that's just the natural colour of my teeth. (Maybe I drink too much coffee and tea!) I'd like to get them whitened one day, but there are so much more important things to spend my money on in the meantime! (And I don't want to go for one of those dodgy bleaching treatments from some unregulated place.)

My teeth are also pretty weak... I think they are just 'not great' hereditarily/genetically and I just had bad luck...

 

[bammbamm&pebbles]

An interesting response to this situation, I've noticed, is that the 八重歯 (double tooth) is considered a cute/desirable trait.

Japanese pop-singer Seiko Matsuda & her infamous 八重歯

 

[Chipi]

Hmm. Many replies to the first post seem to be just Brits defending their teeth...

Anyways. To my surprise, when I first went to Japan and told the people I met that I'm from Finland, their first thing they'd relate to Finland wasn't Santa Claus or Sauna or Moomin, but Xylitol! Xylitol - Wikipedia
Then they would compliment how beautiful teeth all Finns must have (an image they had in mind).. at that point I would usually try to hide my smile, because I felt the teeth the Japanese people had, were so beautiful and so white! Compared to those I felt mine were too yellow (they're ok but not shiny white.. ). I've seen some bad cases too in Japan, but I have to say that I've mostly seen just rows of shiny white teeth.
I'm suspecting though, that many people get their teeth whitened...
I've never done that and not sure if I ever will.