OMG!!!! BRITISH MEN ARE SOOOO HOT!!!! (page 4)

damselfly

Ewan McGregor is Scottish isn't he?

Doesn't really matter he makes me melt.

Dams

A staple of American humor about the UK is the population's bad teeth. For example, Lisa Simpson was shown "The Big Book of British Teeth" by her orthodontist. Is there actual evidence that British teeth are worse than anyone else's?

David Dreaming Bear, Horsethief Canyon, California USA

British teeth are not bad, but irregular by American standards. American middle class children are normally tormented with gratuitous cosmetic dentistry to make them look like Stepford wives, so that any dental individuality is regarded as strange. An American woman I know whose parents resisted this fashion was bullied at school for her "bad" teeth, although she doesn't have a filling in her head at the age of 45.
Christopher Young, Sheffield England

I don't know the basis for it but it is definitely a stereotype the Americans have about us. I was talking to an american woman recently, and in the middle of the conversation she broke off to exclaim at what "remarkably white teeth" I had.
Peter, London England

Surely this stereotype has arisen out of the American preoccupation of spending large amounts of money on having their teeth done, a pastime which, like cosmetic surgery, the British find too vain to become involved in.
Clive, Sydney Australia

It's actually Canadian humor. Mike Myers (Canadian) gets the credit for this from "Austin Powers". Americans are quiet on the subject of teeth since our first president didn't have any (except made of ivory and held together by frightful metal springs).
Dan Morgan, Boston US

I understand that before the second world war the Americans' dental health was apalling. Visiting servicemen spread the use of toothbrushes when they went 'back home'.
Jonathan, Lancaster UK

It was actually 'The British Book of Smiles'. Americans spend loads dewonkifying their teenagers' teeth so they just look better. British children's teeth are much better today than when I was young, despite all those American soft drinks.
Tomas Santos, Hove UK

Its not that ours are bad but that Americans are obsessive about their's. Its catching on here too with just about all kids getting fitted with braces. Don't remember anyone at my school who had a brace. Notice that Austin Powers has snaggly teeth reflecting the American view of a Brit.
George, Edinburgh Scotland

Until the NHS started up, and before the availability of fluoride in toothpaste (or water), our British teeth were spectacularly ugly. Look at any film footage of average Britons before about 1945, and weep. The standard of living of the contemporary American probably afforded them better dental care; and, I suspect, a certain cultural austerity would have meant that corrective procedures such as braces would be regarded by us Brits as extravagance and vanity.
Simon Gilman, London UK

I think Simon Gilman has put it best. Having spent my first 20 years in America and 14 years since living in the UK, I find that the average Brit is satisfied with teeth that might be crooked, stained, even slightly rotten, if they aren't causing much discomfort to their owner. Average Americans have much higher standards of expectation in the state of their dental health -- regardless of whether they have to pay for dental treatment or not, they feel very strongly that good teeth are a wise investment in looks and health. Many visits to the dentist by average Brits happen only after something has gone horribly wrong with their teeth, whilst Americans take an actively preventative approach with semi-annual dental checkups and intervention before any problems become severe. As a result of the greater amount of attention that Americans pay to their teeth, they are far more likely to notice and comment on the state of other people's teeth.
Wendy James, London UK

Japanese culture has a stigma attached to teeth. Women cover their mouths while laughing because of this. Fortunately this also helps to cover up their awful teeth. An attractive girl will quite often be ruined by a horrifying set of gnashers. In my opinion free dental care for children on the NHS gives us far better teeth than the Japanese and leaves us with more natural smiles than our American cousins.
John Mullen, Kitakyushu Japan

I don't know about the States, but here in Mexico the common phrase to describle 'wonky' teeth is 'dientes ingles' (English teeth).
Iain Pearson, Mexico City Mexico

I just returned to the US after having lived in England for seven years. The concept of "bad British teeth" is certainly an unkind stereotype, but I agree with the fact that the English are more comfortable with the idea of having manky teeth as long as they don't actually hurt. I think the NHS is to blame, in part for not having enough dentists in certain parts of the country to allow for visits twice a year, and also by establishing the attitude that that having white teeth, free of decay, are hard to achieve rather than a normal healthy state of being. In the US, health insurance often does not cover dental work, and does not cover braces at all, but since sound teeth are a class indicator here, people would be hard put to just accept having a missing tooth or visible decay for fear of being thought a hillbilly.
Valene Harris, New York US

As an American who has lived the past 3 years in the UK, I am sorry to say that I must agree with the "bad teeth" stereotype. I know that some Brits (as I have been reading in the above comments) see us Americans as being "obsessed" with good teeth, but some of the teeth I see here are absolutely appalling. Otherwise attractive people are rendered hideous by mis-shapen, stained, rotton teeth. One time a man I was talking with in a pub claimed he was getting drunk that night so he could go home and pull his bad tooth. When I asked why he didn't go to a dentist he announced, with pride, that he had never been to a dentist in his life. I found it absolutely disgusting - just as if he had announced he had never bathed. I have also seen women in the UK spend thousands of pounds on cosmetic surgeries, including breast augmentation, while completely ignoring a mouthful of crooked, fang-like tobacco stained teeth that badly effect their appearance more than anything else. Sorry, Britian. Us "yanks" happen to be right about this one!
Jovanka Steele-Williamson, London UK

im a dental hygienist in ny. the people I see here are just as ignorant about oral hygiene as anywhere else. many people interested in whitening have periodontal disease, their teeth are actually loose but rather than pay to see a periodontist to save them they would like them bleached because that seven hundered dollars is easier to come up with than the money to actually save the teeth. alot of people want their teeth pulled and nice white dentures put in instead. how about some preventitive measures like regular check ups or floss it costs a dollar. even if you dont have insurance chekups at the most are way way less than the average price of sneakers most people have a low dental IQ no matter what country.we need to change this.tooth loss is not necessary even if you're 80. floss!!!
heather, new york usa

I have to say, as a tourist here in London for the millionth time, I am always astounded by the bad teeth here which I believe is caused mostly by smoking. I think it's cool to have iregular shaped teeth, but staining and rot...these are syptoms of bad hygeine, not vanity and not genetics. Apart from being the most disgusting habit in the world, smoking really makes teeth look gross. When I am attracted to someone, I imagine kissing them. If I can't get past that initial imagining (ie. if the person opens their mouth and has terrible teeth) it's NEVER going to happen. Instead of being obsessed with highlights, tans and boob jobs, why not invest a few bob in a trip to the dentist, a bleaching tray and some dental floss? The world would be a better place!
Gary, San Francisco USA

As a Briton living in the US for the past four years, I can honestly say that British people do have worse teeth. I came to US considering myself lucky to have a good set of teeth; however, over time I realized that my teeth were far from perfect. And all it would have taken was braces for a year or so. Americans do have far straighter and whiter teeth than English people. On a trip back to England I asked my dentist about British teeth, he said even when he offered corrective braces, crowns, bridges for free, people were not interested. I think British people are starting to care, but have a lot of catching up to do.
P. Doodes, Chicago, USA

I hate to admit it, but American teeth are (generally) whiter and straighter than us Brits. However I fall into the typically British camp of, although I would like to have whiter teeth, the thought of cosmetic surgery or self-manipulation seems vain and slightly shallow. I believe you should be happy with yourself, crooked teeth or not.
Karl Gilbert, London, England

I must have misunderstood the stereotype. I always assumed "British Teeth" to refer to large, even rows of well-spaced, uniform-sized teeth (easier to floss). I spent years in braces, had a couple of painful oral surgeries, and I still look like Terry-Thomas, so you won't hear me complaining. I actually find my concept of "British Teeth" rather attractive.
Jeff Meade, San Francisco, United States

As a geneticist, I'm dying to claim that the state of British teeth is at least partly genetic. Otherwise, I can't explain why the dirt-poor janitor at my research centre, who grew up in Eritrea and hadn't seen a toothbrush till he was twenty-seven, has flawless white teeth; whereas Prince Charles, who presumably had access to every toothy luxury, keeps his lips shut when he smiles.
Premee Mohamed, St. Albert, Canada

I admit that I have heard or seen things that have to do with the English having bad teeth, but I don't think it's an "American" thing, especially when 99.9% of people I know don't think anything of it and don't pay any attention. Besides, even if their teeth aren't 200% perfect, they have the most fabulous accents EVER!
Renee Chastine, Ann Arbor, USA