Why do the British have bad teeth?

[Tubby Mondays]

So 50 quid for a filling is quite steep then.
Here its 1 pound to go to the doctor or dentist, this seems cheap but people think it should be free. This means it stops old people from going to the doctor every day as if its a social club, but not too expensive that they will not go if they need to.
So with the dentist everyone can go and have a check up and fillings are not too expensive.

Saying that though, I need to have my front tooth replacing and reconstructed, and its the same price as in the UK, but they consider this to be cosmetic.

Well I would say that £17.50 is cheap to have someone look into your mouth, as its not somewhere where you can look in properly yourself, especially having seen people die of mouth and throat cancer. As regards the £48.00 that might not be just for 1 filling, you can have as many as you need and its still only £48.00.

 

[mune ni kamome]

You've been watching Jeremy Kyle again

 

[Racek]

Well I would say that £17.50 is cheap to have someone look into your mouth, as its not somewhere where you can look in properly yourself, especially having seen people die of mouth and throat cancer. As regards the £48.00 that might not be just for 1 filling, you can have as many as you need and its still only £48.00.

So if you wait and go and have 7 done then its a deal, but if you need a small one done then its expensive!

 

[ozzygull]

I have dental insurance Denplan for the last 10 years, it's not cheep but I know I can go to the dentest when I need to and not worry about the cost . I pay for it in the long run it's just a way of spreading the cost. It also makes you go for checkups oher wise it makes it invalid.

 

[Poyetry In Motion]

I'd like to nominate myself for the worst teeth on NSC. I went to the dentist yesterday ( the first visit since 1996 ) and I need 5 fillings and 5 extractions and also have another 6 teeth in danger. Sadly, bad teeth run in my family ( my parents both had dentures by the time they hit 40 ).
Of course, I've not exactly helped by not going to the dentist for 16 years x 100

Fortunately, my dentist has taken pity on me and is prepared to give my pongy gob a chance

 

[brunswick]

Shit - I've just fallen off my chair because I actually agree with you !!!!

hopefully no nasty rusty nails sticking up ;-) we should frame this thread...lol.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

people brush with flouride - poison. and sugar is in everything, even breakfast cereals and porridge oats.

Since you are not ingesting the toothpaste when you brush your teeth it is unlikely to add to the flouride levels within your metabolism. It is well established that flouride in toothpastes reduces, and slows down, the development of cavities within the tooth. But you are supposed to rinse out the toothpaste, not eat it.

Many dentists will recommend amalgam fillings that contain mercury which is far more toxic than flouride, however the amount involved in the average filling isn't going to cause most people any problems.

The real concern is with flouridation of drinking water, the WHO suggest a maximum level of 1.5 milligrammes per litre, but in cases where flourosis has been reported the concentration was reported as nearly 150x the recommended maximum level.

 

[Aadam]

For years the Americans have said that the British have bad teeth. I never really believed it but after looking for myself it seems to be the case. Why is this?

This has always been the case, and I think when they say it, they're not commenting on how many fillings you might have, but more on colour and how straight they are. Americans are more vain in this respect. Their appearance means more to them over there, than to most of us over here.

Having paid for braces myself to make my teeth straight, I'm more conscious about looking at other peoples teeth, and have noticed that the majority of people in the UK do not have straight teeth, nor white teeth for that matter. In America it's the opposite.

 

[OSRGull]

Mine aren't great, I'm 18 and the orthadontics wouldn't let me have braces because I couldn't make it to one appointment. It really does piss me off because I'd love to have braces and I don't know what I'm suppose to do.

 

[Aadam]

Mine aren't great, I'm 18 and the orthadontics wouldn't let me have braces because I couldn't make it to one appointment. It really does piss me off because I'd love to have braces and I don't know what I'm suppose to do.

Are you private or NHS?

 

[beorhthelm]

i reckon its a misguided myth. the point about Navies might have been true once? today, its because on TV American actors, politians and affulaent groups are all seen with perfect straight, bright white teeth, while UK we dont really bother too much, a full set is sufficient. Its probably because of the cost of dentistry its seen as aspirational. compare the average, low-middle income person in the UK and in the US, i'd wager they have similar teeth.

 

[Storer 68]

How much is it to go to the dentist now? Where I live its free, and last time I went I had to have a tooth taken out and two fillings. It all cost me 7 quid, so do you think its the cost in the UK thats the problem?

Well, the root canal I had to have done just before Christmas, cost me mearly £400 , and I'm an NHS patient!

 

[Tubby Mondays]

Well, the root canal I had to have done just before Christmas, cost me mearly £400 , and I'm an NHS patient!

Youve ebeen done then! Or youre not on the NHS as you think you are.

 

[Aadam]

Youve ebeen done then! Or youre not on the NHS as you think you are.

This. My private dentist doesn't even charge this. It's around £150 per tooth from him. I'm guessing you have a lot of work and as above, you're private.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

When I was told by my dentist in the late 1990's that orthodontics was an option to straighten my teeth I was told the treatment (private) would take around 18 months (probably involving several different braces as the teeth were adjusted) and cost £ 2,500. The improvements would be (other than making it easier to clean my teeth) purely cosmetic.

Now in the US, that kind of thing would be covered by private medical insurance, but it's not available on the NHS over here. Which is why most people don't opt for it.

 

[upthealbion1970]

I'd like to nominate myself for the worst teeth on NSC. I went to the dentist yesterday ( the first visit since 1996 ) and I need 5 fillings and 5 extractions and also have another 6 teeth in danger. Sadly, bad teeth run in my family ( my parents both had dentures by the time they hit 40 ).
Of course, I've not exactly helped by not going to the dentist for 16 years x 100

Fortunately, my dentist has taken pity on me and is prepared to give my pongy gob a chance

I hadn't been to the dentist in about 15 years and toothache got really bad last year, I had 12 out in one go

 

[Lush]

I can't believe that going to the dentist is any cheaper in the US or they drink fewer sugary drinks. It's probably a question of priorities. They EXPECT perfect teeth and are prepared to put the time, effort and money into straightening them.

 

[Silent Bob]

Americans give their kids braces for any slight imperfection, stuff like tooth bleaching is ridiculously common.

I don't know why they're so obsessed about it, maybe it's because it's a big money industry, like the circumcision thing.

 

[Blackadder]

Not sure really?

 

[Acker79]

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