British Teeth...American joke

A question for the nice American's out there, I was recently watching the Simpsons where Lisa has to get a brace. The part where Lisa is in the Dentist's, the Dentist shows her a book with the title something like ''British Teeth'' or something similar.

In the book everyone has bad teeth...

Now I've heard this joke before but I've never really been bothered to check why there's a running joke about the teeth of the British...

Explain....

This is a hard one to explain. While I never thought that all Brits have bad teeth, the ones I've worked with, and I've worked with quite a few over the years, almost all had bad teeth. Is it just coincidence? You would know better than I.

Maybe it's the water!

Peace

Simple observation:

We rarely have our kids wearing braces unless there's a seriously physically-imposing malformation; in other words, we don't give 'em braces for something that's basically an aesthetic problem. In the US though, braces are ubiquitous in high schools across the country.

We clean and floss just like everyone else...but we don't spend an inordinate amount of money on cleaning treatments per se, for the same reason as above.

It's just not that important, if they're healthy enough

REPORT: BRITISH CLONES WILL STILL HAVE BAD TEETH

British scientists said on Wednesday they had been granted permission to clone human embryos for medical research, but a report from the journal Nature concluded that cloned humans from Britian would still suffer from poor dental health. Reseachers at the University of Newcastle in northern England acknowledged the problem, but asserted that at least their clones wouldn't suffer from excessive body hair like French clones.

Link: www.antimatternews.com...



Peace

I didn't have braces in HS, my wisdom teeth are in too. But I wouldn't say I have good teeth like those kids of crazy rich parents who got their kids all those form shaping shoes, chairs. Crazy.

That's such a funny thing to ask, about the teeth I mean, I've never really seen that in real life, only on TV. But I never really thought of where it came from.

Kids in the US have braces IF their parents can afford it, so if you looked at the percentages between the two countries regarding bad teeth etc i doubt there would be much between them as long as you took into account the differt population sizes etc.
Im sure there are as many wandering the US with bad teeth as there are Wandering the UK.
Perhaps they think that because it makes them feel better about them selves, i dunno.

[edit on 29-9-2005 by Janus]

I'ts not only an American joke, isn't Mike Myers Canadian?

Peace

Originally posted by Dr Love

I'ts not only an American joke, isn't Mike Myers Canadian?

Peace

Yeah but Austins a sex god, everyone knows that
Besides he had to throw in a joke you guys would understand, J/K

Dunno, Janus...most insurance plans cover it now (or at least part costs).

Still, I doubt the numbers would be even close.

When I was a kid my dad was rolling in $$, still is in fact. I didn't get braces? Abuse?!

Mike Myers's teeth don't really look like that

Its not just an American joke either - the French have a stereotypical image of Brits having big, malformed teeth as well. Obviously, coming from a Frenchman, this joke is easiy countered, as you duck to avoid his nose.

No one can forget the frog laugh from the Simpsons...

my oldest daughters mother was (deseased) British and her teeth were not the best by American standards but not the normal stereotype for GB either. She had braces complete with the embarrasing head gear in her teens.

However, ALL the other "Brits" i've known have had what would be called- snaggletooth.

she explained to me several differences that were apparent to her, having spent significant time in both countries.

1. No floride in the water in GB
2. different values on vanity in GB
3. Much fewer TV channels filled with glorified and super vane actors.
4. dim light most of the time due to weather hides snaggletooth
5. much more thumb sucking (even through adult hood) in GB-Americans use more pacifiers which get taken away from children and habit is easier to kick.

Originally posted by UK Wizard
A question for the nice American's out there, I was recently watching the Simpsons where Lisa has to get a brace. The part where Lisa is in the Dentist's, the Dentist shows her a book with the title something like ''British Teeth'' or something similar.

In the book everyone has bad teeth...

Now I've heard this joke before but I've never really been bothered to check why there's a running joke about the teeth of the British...

Explain....

Its because a lot people from the USA get their ideas about other cultures only from the Simpsons!

If you spend a little time on fark.com you'll see what I mean. Not that other nationalities don't play the sterotype game there either, its all part of the farkin' fun! My favourites are the football vs NFL flamewars........or perhaps that should be soccer/rugby vs armoured wankball flamewars!! LMAO bring on the world cup!

2. different values on vanity in GB

Yep, kinda true, you don't have to have a super fluorescent white smile to get ahead over here. Most people have more important things to pay for. Like the governments latest botched initiative/pay rise & pension/tax. Then beer

3. Much fewer TV channels filled with glorified and super vane actors.

Very true. I guess only reporters/newscasters/presenters etc. do have to have proper pearly whites. Actors in general don't, probably as it makes them seem 'more real', or they just can't be arsed. Like the rest of us. I was watching Dr Who the other night and the teeth on display were atrocious! but real

4. dim light most of the time due to weather hides snaggletooth

LMAO! get over to fark, you'll fit right in!

5. much more thumb sucking (even through adult hood) in GB-Americans use more pacifiers which get taken away from children and habit is easier to kick.

BWHAHAHA best yet! Believe me, come puberty, us dirty Brits find much more interesting things to suck on than thumbs. You do know how high our teenage pregnancy stats are?

\Have got reasonable teeth
\\Not up to American standards but still
\\\slashy slashy

It's just the same as we English think all American's are fat, lazy and stupid! The same way we think that all French people eat Frogs and snails,

It's just steriotype! Nothing to get mad over

Originally posted by DodgeG1
It's just the same as we English think all American's are fat, lazy and stupid! The same way we think that all French people eat Frogs and snails,

It's just steriotype! Nothing to get mad over

French people do eat frogs and snails!! They're actually quite nice. Frogs legs are like little morsels of chicken; they're not eaten very often really. Snails are eaten by the dozen, and are cooked in the oven with garlic butter and herbs and washed down with some white wine.


Oh, and the French stereotype of British cuisine is the obvious roast beef, and also roast lamb drowned in gravy and mint sauce.

[edit on 10-11-2005 by Paul]

Originally posted by Paul

Originally posted by DodgeG1
It's just the same as we English think all American's are fat, lazy and stupid! The same way we think that all French people eat Frogs and snails,

It's just steriotype! Nothing to get mad over

French people do eat frogs and snails!! They're actually quite nice. Frogs legs are like little morsels of chicken; they're not eaten very often really. Snails are eaten by the dozen, and are cooked in the oven with garlic butter and herbs and washed down with some white wine.



Oh, and the French stereotype of British cuisine is the obvious roast beef, and also roast lamb drowned in gravy and mint sauce.

[edit on 10-11-2005 by Paul]

I know they DO eat Frogs and snails, but not EVERY French person does, Like not EVERY English person has bad teeth?:bnghd:

It's Roast beef and mustard actually! Also Lamb and mint sauce is great!

Sorry, folks, double post. :shk:

Computer running slow.

[edit on 12-11-2005 by Skadi_the_Evil_Elf]

Its a stereotype. Like when British people say all Americans are fat and badly dressed.

But there are factors. My husband, who is British, when we went to walmart for some stuff, was amazed at the variety of dental care in Wal-Mart, like home tooth vleaches, flouride washes, electric flossers, cheap electric toothbrushes. He said people over in the UK simply do not spend all that much time on their teeth, and only really see the dentist only when something is wrong.

It is a social thing I think. Americans are no more vain than the British are. We simply direct our vanity into different things. For instance, my own observation has shown me that British are far nore obessesed with how people dress, and are more obsessed with designer labels and fashion than Americans are. My husband noted this as well: he said Americans were badly dressed. i asked him what he meant, and he said that everyone wears jeans or casual simple clothes all the time, that you dont see people in fancy designer clothes or nice suits, that people here did not seem to care about fashion much.

So there is your difference. personally, Im a plain dresser, have never had much interest in fashion or style. To me, my teeth will be around longer than any designer fad, so I take better care of them and spend more time making my teeth the best they can be. Desingers may change, but caring for teeth is an excellent investment.

If you want to see the most beautiful, whitest teeth in the world, though, go to Africa. I have seen pictures of "primitive" tribes where even the elderly have brilliant white and healthy teeth in a full set. Its because alot of the water there is naturally flouridated from the springs.

I dont understand why American's joke about our "bad teeth". I for one do not have bad teeth, none of my family does...