The British have been mocked about their poor teeth for decades, but it's entirely unfounded, a study has concluded.For years the British have been mocked by Americans for their wonky smiles and discoloured crooked teeth.
In one episode of The Simpsons, a dentist scares a young patient into better oral hygiene by opening ‘The Big Book of British Smiles’ featuring the misaligned molars of the Prince of Wales and Sherlock Holmes.In Mexico bad teeth are referred to as ‘dientes Ingles.’
But a new study suggests the Brits have been unfairly maligned. According to University College London and Harvard University, Britons have no worse dental health than the Americans, and in fact, we have fewer missing teeth.
The study showed that the average number of missing teeth was significantly higher in the US – with the average person missing 7.31 teeth compared to 6.97 in Britain.
"There is a longstanding belief in the United States that the British have terrible teeth, much worse than US citizens, ," said lead author Dr Richard Watt, Professor in Dental Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, at UCL.
"This view dates back at least 100 years, with toothpaste adverts extolling the virtues of American smiles.
"Contemporary examples of this belief in popular US culture range from The Simpsons to the Hollywood character Austin Powers and his repugnant smile.
"Contrary to popular belief, our study showed that the oral health of US citizens is not better than the English, with Americans having significantly more missing teeth."The US and UK researchers looked at data from thousands of people from the English English Adult Dental Health Survey and the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
They looked for examples of missing teeth, adults' perceptions of their oral health and the effect of poor teeth on daily life such as pain, difficulty eating, avoiding smiling and social effects. Levels of education and household income were also examined.
The National Health Service provides free orthodontics to under-18s "who need it". But the braces provided are metal and children are often unwilling to have them fitted during their teenage years. Parents who want less obvious ceramic or plastic versions, often clear or even invisible, have to go private.
telegraph
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