• enbipanic@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      13 hours ago

      I’ve not researched this, but I’ve heard it’s because mouth health is prioritised over aesthetics.

      That basically means: no whitening.

      Teeth are naturally yellowish

      • bigfondue@lemmy.world
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        9 hours ago

        It’s also because Americans will spend thousands of dollars on cosmetic procedures for their preteens. Braces are not as common elsewhere. Europeans think a lot of Americans look like they have dentures because of this and veneers.

      • skisnow@lemmy.ca
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        11 hours ago

        also, dentistry is more accessible in the UK; free treatment is available to a bigger chunk of the population, and private dental care is cheaper as well.

        So, in terms of severe complications stemming from lack of dental care, the US is worse, but the obsession with straightening & whitening means that people who have got it together enough to appear in the media generally have superficially nicer teeth.

        It’s like most things in America - if you’re doing ok then it’s great, and if you’re not then the rest of the country just pretends you don’t exist.

          • Korhaka@sopuli.xyz
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            4 hours ago

            Socialised healthcare means they work and you aren’t left in pain. If you want them to look pretty go and fork out for private treatment.

        • Sauerkraut@discuss.tchncs.de
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          7 hours ago

          It’s like most things in America - if you’re doing ok then it’s great, and if you’re not then the rest of the country just pretends you don’t exist.

          That truly is the US in a nutshell. The US is fantastic if you are in the top 20% (and you have zero empathy for people you don’t know), otherwise this country sucks.

    • Sauerkraut@discuss.tchncs.de
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      8 hours ago

      Define better. They eat healthier (lower rates of diabetes and obesity), but they also spend less money on cosmetics.

      • sexy_peach@feddit.org
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        6 hours ago

        It’s pretty obvious that I meant healthier teeth. Which they have because they’re not avoiding the dentist as much. Because it’s paid for by insurance.

    • don@lemmy.ca
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      15 hours ago

      I’ve heard that myth before, never see any evidence in favor of it, not that I can be arsed to look.

        • Korhaka@sopuli.xyz
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          4 hours ago

          Not completely true. Children get free care through the NHS. So do some other groups of people, often people on benefits can but not all benefits IIRC. NHS dentist availability is a growing issue here too.

        • yermaw@sh.itjust.works
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          9 hours ago

          There’s a lot of people who can’t afford dental care tbh. If you’re unemployed/disabled/whatever you qualify for free care, and if you’re in a good job you can afford it. If youre on minimum wage trying to make ends meet you dont qualify and cant afford it.