Okay - no more jokes about British teeth please

[Laura Corin]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/12/16/jokes-on-us-american-teeth-are-as-bad-as-british-teeth-study-says/

 

I'm happy to admit though - and the study doesn't contradict this - that American upper middle class people have straighter teeth than do the equivalent people in the UK.  It's just not such a priority here.

[shawthorne44]

It also didn't talk about the color of teeth, or gum disease either.   Seems like a worthless study in general.  

 

I wonder if they wouldn't say my perfectly fine teeth are a problem?   I've had all my wisdom teeth removed.  So, they probably would have counted me as having 4 missing teeth.   Whereas if I hadn't have had them removed, my mouth would be a mess, yet this study would classify that version as just fine.  

[Kathryn]

Hmm, I was under the impression that the mockery of British teeth had to do with our American obsession with having perfectly aligned teeth, not the number of cavities one had had filled or teeth missing. I thought it was about our middle- and upper-class propensity to slap braces on kids for anything less than perfection.

[Cinder]

We were watching the Great British Bakeoff show, and I couldn't help but notice all of the crooked teeth!!

 

Just about everyone in the middle and upper classes in the US makes getting their kids into braces a priority.  A person is judged negatively if their teeth are "bad." I don't know when it became a thing here, but it is what it is.

 

Teeth whitening also has become a priority. It's "bad" not to have shiny neon white teeth.

[Laura Corin]

It also didn't talk about the color of teeth, or gum disease either.   Seems like a worthless study in general.  

 

I wonder if they wouldn't say my perfectly fine teeth are a problem?   I've had all my wisdom teeth removed.  So, they probably would have counted me as having 4 missing teeth.   Whereas if I hadn't have had them removed, my mouth would be a mess, yet this study would classify that version as just fine.  

 

Is there a health reason to avoid yellow teeth?  I understand that many people prefer white teeth, but I was just wondering because you paired teeth colour with gum disease.  British tea drinking makes yellow teeth close to an inevitability.

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

FWIW, I appreciate the fact that not all the Brits on TV have unrealistically perfect teeth.  As a person with way less than perfect teeth it makes me feel more comfortable.

 

 

[athomeontheprairie]

FWIW, I appreciate the fact that not all the Brits on TV have unrealistically perfect teeth. As a person with way less than perfect teeth it makes me feel more comfortable.

THIS is one of my favorite things about British television. Coupled with the fact that the actors/actresses look like REAL people (not some "perfect" model) make their shows far superior to me.

[Pawz4me]

I don't know of anyone who spends tons of money on teeth whitening.  Sure a lot of people buy OTC products.  But I don't personally know of anyone who has gone to a dentist and spent $$$ to have their teeth professionally whitened, nor is that something our dentists have ever pushed.  I actually think neon white teeth look weird on most people, especially most people over 25 or so.  Not that I'm going to bother with it anyway, 'cause I'm not giving up my coffee!

 

Now braces . . . goodness.  If I started counting all the kids and adults I know who have/had braces it would probably total up to hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of orthodontia.

[fairfarmhand]

FWIW, I appreciate the fact that not all the Brits on TV have unrealistically perfect teeth.  As a person with way less than perfect teeth it makes me feel more comfortable.

 

 

THIS is one of my favorite things about British television. Coupled with the fact that the actors/actresses look like REAL people (not some "perfect" model) make their shows far superior to me.

My girls and I were just talking about this yesterday. We love the wide range of "beautiful" people on British television. Lots of body types, facial types, and people who aren't "gorgeous (in a Hollywood sense) but they have interesting, lovely features and memorable characters.

 

I commented that one of the actresses on IT Guys has a mole on her face, just on her cheek like an ordinary person and I commented that I found that it made her face interesting. In Hollywood, she;d have had to have that sucker lasered off.

 

So yeah, I like the British look.

 

(coming from a lady with orthodontially perfect teeth, because of major structural issues.)

[Ravin]

The greater disparity between wealthy and poor is something that is even more apparent if they'd looked at middle aged or older people rather than 25yo's. Medicaid covers dentistry for children, but many millions of people have no access to affordable dental care past the age of 18, beyond maybe emergency removal. The result is more missing teeth, and general oral health being poor, because poor people don't need teeth, don't you know? NEver midn the great impact on quality of life and even on employability--when my BIL was able to save up and have his messed up front teeth replaced with a partial denture, he was able to get a better paying job.

 

I always thought the references were mostly to an older generation/era--like the 60's and 70's anyway. 

[Garga]

You gotta have straight teeth in America, or you don't do as well.  It's sort of like how if you're too overweight you don't get as good of jobs.  Same thing with teeth.

 

The orthodontist we use didn't quite convince me that my son's teeth needed braces, but I am aware of the prejudice against people with bad teeth, so even though the orthodontist said he "needed" them, I don't think he "needed" them medically.  But we got them anyway because of the social stigma against overbites and crooked teeth.

 

Sigh.

[shawthorne44]

Is there a health reason to avoid yellow teeth?  I understand that many people prefer white teeth, but I was just wondering because you paired teeth colour with gum disease.  British tea drinking makes yellow teeth close to an inevitability.

 

 

No, but yellow teeth is one of the things joked about.  A good example is the picture of Mike Myers in the article.  His teeth are fine except they are really yellow-brown.   

[redsquirrel]

Is there a health reason to avoid yellow teeth?  I understand that many people prefer white teeth, but I was just wondering because you paired teeth colour with gum disease.  British tea drinking makes yellow teeth close to an inevitability.

 

 

First of all, I am sorry!  It's not funny and I would find it annoying as well. I've known lots of Brits in my time and never gave a second thought to any of their teeth. That was because their teeth were/are unremarkable in every way.

 

OTOH, I watched the clip from SNL this past week of Will Ferrill playing Bush the younger, and even my kids noticed what a mess his teeth are. It must be a conscious decision on his part b/c he must have terrible TMJ at this point.

 

But, on the subject of stained teeth, well, Americans drink as much coffee as Brits do their tea, and both lead to stained teeth.  Maybe more Americans will use teeth whitening strips at home? They aren't super expensive here  and they really do work. Heck, my dentist told me to use them once a year back when I turned 40. That wasn't because my teeth were particularly yellow, he just said that once you turn 40, there is only so much a cleaning can do.  He made that suggestion to all his middle age patients. He said to just use the cheapest strips, that they are all the same.  I drink a LOT of tea and more than my fair share of coffee and my teeth are not yellow in the least. They aren't creepy fake white either. They just look clean.

 

And those home whiteners shouldn't give you those super white teeth anyway. It generally takes professional level over-treatment (or crazy looking veneers) to give that look.  I guess it is possible if someone was obsessive and overused those strips and kept them on for hours...but that seems like more of a mental health issue.

 

Does national health care cover twice yearly dental cleanings? That to me is the big difference between middle class America and much of the rest of the world.  Many middle class Americans have a minimal dental insurance or at least the ability to afford (barely) those twice yearly cleanings for at least their kids.  Don't get me wrong, no where near enough people do have access to dental care in this country! I know plenty of people who never see a dentist and neither to their kids.  But, if you can afford it or you have the coverage, you try to at least get your kids in. And those regular cleanings make a difference, not with braces etc but just keeping the teeth cleaner looking.

 

And everyone knows that actors, politicians, business people etc have veneers, right? Those aren't real teeth. Sometimes. to save money, they just get them on the top front teeth that show when you smile. They are much more common than you might think. DH works with sales people, not exactly the elite ones either, and they all have veneers.

[38carrots]

THIS is one of my favorite things about British television. Coupled with the fact that the actors/actresses look like REAL people (not some "perfect" model) make their shows far superior to me.

 

YES!!!!!

[KungFuPanda]

I'm an American and I do notice crooked, yellow teeth on BBC. However, I also notice the fake, glowing white veneers and over-processed teeth walking around. There is definitely a point where you can try too hard and get that Joan Rivers too-much-work look about you. Too many people push past looking natural and it draws attention to the "work" that's not positive.

 

I'm also curious if wisdom teeth removal was counted in the article.

[Laura Corin]

 

 

But, on the subject of stained teeth, well, Americans drink as much coffee as Brits do their tea, and both lead to stained teeth.  Maybe more Americans will use teeth whitening strips at home? They aren't super expensive here  and they really do work. Heck, my dentist told me to use them once a year back when I turned 40. That wasn't because my teeth were particularly yellow, he just said that once you turn 40, there is only so much a cleaning can do.  He made that suggestion to all his middle age patients. He said to just use the cheapest strips, that they are all the same.  I drink a LOT of tea and more than my fair share of coffee and my teeth are not yellow in the least. They aren't creepy fake white either. They just look clean.

 

And those home whiteners shouldn't give you those super white teeth anyway. It generally takes professional level over-treatment (or crazy looking veneers) to give that look.  I guess it is possible if someone was obsessive and overused those strips and kept them on for hours...but that seems like more of a mental health issue.

 

Does national health care cover twice yearly dental cleanings? That to me is the big difference between middle class America and much of the rest of the world.  Many middle class Americans have a minimal dental insurance or at least the ability to afford (barely) those twice yearly cleanings for at least their kids.  Don't get me wrong, no where near enough people do have access to dental care in this country! I know plenty of people who never see a dentist and neither to their kids.  But, if you can afford it or you have the coverage, you try to at least get your kids in. And those regular cleanings make a difference, not with braces etc but just keeping the teeth cleaner looking.

 

And everyone knows that actors, politicians, business people etc have veneers, right? Those aren't real teeth. Sometimes. to save money, they just get them on the top front teeth that show when you smile. They are much more common than you might think. DH works with sales people, not exactly the elite ones either, and they all have veneers.

 

Yes, the NHS covers cleaning, but it's an as-needed thing: if there's a buildup that could cause damage to the teeth, then it's paid for.  If not, not.  There's nothing stopping people from paying for private cleanings if they like, for cosmetic reasons.  Twice-yearly checkups and treatment are definitely expected.

 

We have all the home-whitening stuff available, but most people just don't think it's important.  Just like most people, world-over, don't have perfect noses, but we don't all have nose-jobs or sleep with a peg on our nose.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Yeah some people on TV have teeth that are so white and straight it's almost too much.  Like you need sunglasses if they smile at you.  LOL

 

 

[Laura Corin]

I'm also curious if wisdom teeth removal was counted in the article.

 

No idea, but that would even out surely: Brits get wisdom teeth taken out too, if they cause problems.

[Guest]

I'll be weird - I like clean, straight, uncrowded teeth. Not veneered or neon white, but I definitely remove coffee stains with charcoal. I feel like teeth imperfections are distracting.

[shawthorne44]

No idea, but that would even out surely: Brits get wisdom teeth taken out too, if they cause problems.

 

I suspect that the definition of "causing problems" is different for Brits and Americans.  

 

I used to have a friend that was an American, but lived in England during her teenage years.   She is still a little mad at her parents for listening to the dentist when he said that the crowding from wisdom teeth wouldn't be a problem.  Yes, she is able to eat and chew.  But, cleaning her teeth well is difficult because they are on top of each other.  She also has had to struggle with gum disease because of the cleaning difficulty.  She had her wisdom teeth out as an adult, and was saving up for braces when her priorities changed, i.e. she got M.S.   Of course, this is one datapoint.  

[KungFuPanda]

No idea, but that would even out surely: Brits get wisdom teeth taken out too, if they cause problems.

Americans tend to remove them as preventative care. It Brits are only removing them when they cause problems it could really skew the numbers.

[Bluegoat]

Wow. I have never met anyone who put their child in orthodontia for cosmetic reasons. Its all structural.I must live in an outlier area. The cosmetic expense is all about teeth whitening here, and implants for those who didnt grow up with fluoridated water and have lots of decay in their 50s.

 

Well, that is what we are told, that it isn't just cosmetic.

 

But - North Americans are generally quite agressive about medical things.  They reccomend more dental visits, they think more procedures are necessary, and so on.

 

It's certainly good for the dentists and orthodontists, but I am often not all that comfortable with the advice I get from either.  Unfortunately, it is hard to contradict them since I have no way of knowing when they might be over the top and when its a real issue.

[Lolly]

Wow. I have never met anyone who put their child in orthodontia for cosmetic reasons. Its all structural.I must live in an outlier area. The cosmetic expense is all about teeth whitening here, and implants for those who didnt grow up with fluoridated water and have lots of decay in their 50s.

The thing is that all this structural necessity is actually, really and truly, cosmetic. The orthodontist says it is structural...it isn't. Very little orthodontia would actually be necessary if it was only done for true structural need. I've been told that a couple of my kids HAD to have braces for a "structural" issue. I looked at them and decided it wasn't needed. You want to know the funny part here? That "structural issue" cleared up on its own. Yep. The physics and forces involved in the mouth put their teeth into alignment naturally over time. Perfect? No. But, better than most kids I have seen who have had braces! In fact, I haven't looked lately. They might be to  perfect alignment now. And, honestly, I have seen friends' dc who "had" to have braces for non-cosmetic reasons. I'm sorry, don't buy it. It is cosmetic over 90% of the time. If you life in an area where dc don't get braces, then you are truly in an outlier area, but I have a feeling they are just not aware that what they are being told is structural is actually cosmetic...

Edited December 18, 2015 by Lolly

[Julie Smith]

Eldest has braces. The otho also sees Youngest in the waiting room and said Youngest could get them when he is older for mainly cosmetic reasons and to make it slightly easier to care for his teeth as an adult. 

 

Eldest needed them for good reason. He had a cyst that pushed his front tooth 90 degrees out of alignment. (As in instead of growing down towards the ground it would have tired to come out horizontal to the ground). He has so far had 2 surgeries and will one day need a gum graph. I do like that the otho was honest about his opinion on Youngest and braces. 

[Laura Corin]

I'm not anti-braces.  Both my children had them - each had a different major structural issue that stopped them chewing properly.  The eldest's front teeth didn't fit inside his mouth; the youngest was wearing a hole in his palate with his front bottom teeth.

 

On the other hand, husband (Texas) had braces on his top teeth.  When that was finished, the ortho said they needed to start on the bottom teeth.  He decided that the ortho was just trying to make money.  To this day, he has straight top teeth and wonky bottom ones.  They all work fine.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I'm not anti-braces.  Both my children had them - each had a different major structural issue that stopped them chewing properly.  The eldest's front teeth didn't fit inside his mouth; the youngest was wearing a hole in his palate with his front bottom teeth.

 

On the other hand, husband (Texas) had braces on his top teeth.  When that was finished, the ortho said they needed to start on the bottom teeth.  He decided that the ortho was just trying to make money.  To this day, he has straight top teeth and wonky bottom ones.  They all work fine.

 

I'm not anti braces, but my wallet is.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Wow. I have never met anyone who put their child in orthodontia for cosmetic reasons. Its all structural.I must live in an outlier area. The cosmetic expense is all about teeth whitening here, and implants for those who didnt grow up with fluoridated water and have lots of decay in their 50s.

 

Really?

 

Not my experience AT ALL.

 

Both my kids don't have perfect teeth.  Stunning I know because most people are born with perfect teeth (cough).  Every single time we bring them to the dentist we get the speech about orthodontia.  My husband asks every single time if this is medically necessary or if this is cosmetic.  Every single time they say cosmetic.  But they never stop talking about it.  It makes me angry to be honest because they are basically planting the idea into my children's heads that there is something wrong with their teeth.  So me not forking over for braces means I don't care.

[Laura Corin]

I'm not anti braces, but my wallet is.

 

Ah - that's where the NHS comes through: cosmetic, you pay; functional, NHS pays.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Ah - that's where the NHS comes through: cosmetic, you pay; functional, NHS pays.

 

here pretty much nobody pays

 

Our dental will cover $1000 maximum.  That doesn't even put a small dent into the cost.

[Guest]

Hmm, I was under the impression that the mockery of British teeth had to do with our American obsession with having perfectly aligned teeth, not the number of cavities one had had filled or teeth missing. I thought it was about our middle- and upper-class propensity to slap braces on kids for anything less than perfection.

I remember a conversation I was having with some other ladies. One very beautiful mother was talking about repairing her 10-yr olds' teeth and when questioned by another mom as to whether this was necessary, she said, "I want him to have PERFECT teeth!" Well. Now that's stating it with no nuance.

[La Condessa]

In Southern California where I grew up, everyone born without naturally perfect teeth had braces without question, just as every child born without perfect eyesight would have glasses without question.  The only kids I knew without perfect teeth by the teen years were the children of immigrants. It is done for cosmetic reasons and paid for out-of-pocket by the parents.  An orthodontist tried to convince us that I needed braces because one tooth on one side is slightly turned, and my teeth overlap almost 20% instead of the desired 5% (but only for 18 months and a couple of thousand less than normal, since my teeth weren't too bad)! 

 

So, having grown up where imperfect teeth were very unusual, I do really notice them and find them distracting.  I know it's probably silly, since that's just what people normally look like, but I still notice.

Edited December 18, 2015 by La Condessa

[goldberry]

They have actually shown that people with whiter teeth are viewed as younger than people with yellow teeth.  It's a perception thing.

 

I think in America it is "standard" to have well cared for, straight teeth.  There was a man I worked with who was good-looking otherwise, but had very bad crooked teeth.  It was very distracting to me.  

 

I also confess to thinking when I see a young adult in this day and age with very crooked teeth, I think "wow, too bad their parents did fix that".  I know that not all parents can afford it, but that is still the first thought.

 

ETA I also think that about acne, that if parents can afford it, they should try to have it treated.  

Edited December 18, 2015 by goldberry

[Laura Corin]

 

I think in America it is "standard" to have well cared for, straight teeth.  There was a man I worked with who was good-looking otherwise, but had very bad crooked teeth.  It was very distracting to me.  

 

 

I think that this is a key vocabulary difference that I'm only just understanding, and is the reason that I (and maybe British people in general) get a bit peeved about the stereotype.  It's always expressed as 'bad British teeth'.  To me, 'bad teeth' mean rotten teeth.  But I think that in the US you mean bad-looking teeth.  Is that right?  So to me, if I'm told that British people have 'bad teeth', then it's accusing us of bad hygiene, not a different aesthetic sense.

[Lolly]

I think that this is a key vocabulary difference that I'm only just understanding, and is the reason that I (and maybe British people in general) get a bit peeved about the stereotype.  It's always expressed as 'bad British teeth'.  To me, 'bad teeth' mean rotten teeth.  But I think that in the US you mean bad-looking teeth.  Is that right?  So to me, if I'm told that British people have 'bad teeth', then it's accusing us of bad hygiene, not a different aesthetic sense.

 

That is right. It is just that you silly British don't straighten and whiten perfectly good, solid, functional teeth. (Said sarcastically by an American who thinks more like the British about oral care.)

 

[Guest]

I've seen some rotten teeth in both countries, especially with the crisps/sweets/biscuits prevalence! But generally speaking crooked and yellow are what is being referenced, not cavities. And truthfully it seems to be a wealth thing in this country, which may or may not be true in the UK. Bad teeth are associated with poverty and drugs, which is horribly unfair to those with genetically weak teeth who are judged by their smiles.

[Laura Corin]

I've seen some rotten teeth in both countries, especially with the crisps/sweets/biscuits prevalence! But generally speaking crooked and yellow are what is being referenced, not cavities. And truthfully it seems to be a wealth thing in this country, which may or may not be true in the UK. Bad teeth are associated with poverty and drugs, which is horribly unfair to those with genetically weak teeth who are judged by their smiles.

 

No, it's not related to wealth here. In fact, perfectly straight teeth have become a bit of a footballers-wives, reality TV thing here.  It goes along with excessive perma-tans and tons of bling.

 

Straight teeth are just not, in general, a goal for middle-class families.  I do think that that is changing a bit, but most upper middle class people I know have wonky, functional teeth.

Edited December 18, 2015 by Laura Corin

[Julie Smith]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7633254.stm

[Guest]

My dental hygienists always comment on how nice my teeth are. I honestly wonder if it is because they're naturally white (no bleach treatments) and straight with minimal receding gums, cavities, and orthodontic interventions?

 

I got lucky, my brother has whiter, straighter teeth that are soft enough to get a gazillion cavities.

 

But the comments make me wonder if it is because it is genuinely unusual to see teeth with almost no treatments (normal interventions, one dental appliance as a child for thumb sucking issues).

 

Either way, that kind of horrible that people thought Gervais was wearing fake teeth. I assumed he just liked his smile and didn't see a need to change it. His teeth aren't awful by any stretch.

Edited December 19, 2015 by Arctic Mama

[Pegasus]

Click on to the actual article in BMJ. It includes the following:

 

Differential levels of access and provision of treatment services between the health systems may have contributed to our findings. For example, it is possible that national differences in wisdom teeth extraction might partially explain our findings on missing teeth.

 

To me, this throws the entire stated conclusion out as meaningless:  Americans have more missing teeth and therefore British teeth are not worse than American teeth.  

 

Americans routinely have their wisdom teeth out in the late teen years for preventive reasons. Not everyone, but it is very common.  So, they are counting these as "missing teeth" and using it as a reason why American teeth are not better. 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2015 by Pegasus

[Guest]

Click on to the actual article in BMJ. It includes the following:

 

Differential levels of access and provision of treatment services between the health systems may have contributed to our findings. For example, it is possible that national differences in wisdom teeth extraction might partially explain our findings on missing teeth.

 

To me, this throws the entire stated conclusion out as meaningless: Americans have more missing teeth and therefore British teeth are not worse than American teeth.

 

Americans routinely have their wisdom teeth out in the late teen years for preventive problems. Not everyone, but it is very common. So, they are counting these as "missing teeth" and using it as a reason why American teeth are not better.

But when I looked at that article, I thought it said it was up to age 12? Or is this a different part?

[Pegasus]

But when I looked at that article, I thought it said it was up to age 12? Or is this a different part?

 

 

The study was on people over 25; here's a quote:

 

We selected participants aged 25 years and older

 

The 12 year olds was a reference to a different study.

[Pegasus]

 

 

Edited December 19, 2015 by Pegasus

[Guest]

The study was on people over 25; here's a quote:

 

We selected participants aged 25 years and older

 

The 12 year olds was a reference to a different study.

Okay. That makes sense, then. Surely, counting wisdom tooth removal as "missing" teeth is a bad research practice. If you asked me if I was missing any teeth, I would say No, but I did have faulty wisdom teeth removed in my early 20's.

[kitten18]

I remember a conversation I was having with some other ladies. One very beautiful mother was talking about repairing her 10-yr olds' teeth and when questioned by another mom as to whether this was necessary, she said, "I want him to have PERFECT teeth!" Well. Now that's stating it with no nuance.

Is there something wrong with that?

 

I will be sending my children into adulthood with perfect teeth. They both have had a first phase to correct a cross-bite. DD has just one more baby tooth to lose and her last molars are erupting. It looks like her bite is well aligned now and if she has a second phase it will be for cosmetic reasons.

I will definitely pay for a second phase just to make her teeth perfectly straight.

[Guest]

Is there something wrong with that?

 

I will be sending my children into adulthood with perfect teeth. They both have had a first phase to correct a cross-bite. DD has just one more baby tooth to lose and her last molars are erupting. It looks like her bite is well aligned now and if she has a second phase it will be for cosmetic reasons.

I will definitely pay for a second phase just to make her teeth perfectly straight.

One of my kids had a severe crossbite. Fixing it actually changed the geometry of her face to a noticeable degree. We were having bite issues as well.

 

Some would argue it is still cosmetic but it is worth the money. I know two separate adults (one is a cousin and the other is my dear friend) who hugely resent their parents for knowing they had dental issues and refusing to fix them, because they haven't been able to afford it as young adults and it has indeed impacted how they are perceived, as well as caused more tartar and cavities due to difficult to clean alignment and crowding.

[Guest]

Is there something wrong with that?

 

I will be sending my children into adulthood with perfect teeth. They both have had a first phase to correct a cross-bite. DD has just one more baby tooth to lose and her last molars are erupting. It looks like her bite is well aligned now and if she has a second phase it will be for cosmetic reasons.

I will definitely pay for a second phase just to make her teeth perfectly straight.

"Perfect teeth" bothers me as an expectation. I have paid for dental correction, too, and I will surely be paying for more dental correction, but I never thought or phrased it as wanting them to have "perfect" teeth. Just nice teeth.

[Halftime Hope]

The thing is that all this structural necessity is actually, really and truly, cosmetic. The orthodontist says it is structural...it isn't. Very little orthodontia would actually be necessary if it was only done for true structural need. I've been told that a couple of my kids HAD to have braces for a "structural" issue. I looked at them and decided it wasn't needed. You want to know the funny part here? That "structural issue" cleared up on its own. Yep. The physics and forces involved in the mouth put their teeth into alignment naturally over time. Perfect? No. But, better than most kids I have seen who have had braces! In fact, I haven't looked lately. They might be to  perfect alignment now. And, honestly, I have seen friends' dc who "had" to have braces for non-cosmetic reasons. I'm sorry, don't buy it. It is cosmetic over 90% of the time. If you life in an area where dc don't get braces, then you are truly in an outlier area, but I have a feeling they are just not aware that what they are being told is structural is actually cosmetic...

 

I'm going to disagree with this as a blanket statement.

 

Our ortho, a gem of a man, really did evaluate every one of my children on a yearly basis and decide whether they needed braces for functional reasons or not.  Child 1 had teeth knocked out and spent 2 years in braces to keep the teeth spaced correctly.  Child 2 had a bad gap, but as she grew, and as he encouraged us to wait and watch, it closed itself.  Child 3 has uneven teeth in a portion of the mouth, but not enough to affect function, therefore no braces.  I'm the one who got braces, finally, to straighten upper front teeth that were moving more and more in an unbecoming direction...six months of braces and a permanent retainer. 

 

Sometimes it really is structural/functional.  So, you want a guy like our ortho to honestly tell you the difference.

[justasque]

One of my family's favorite audio CDs is this absolutely excellent collection of "The Nation's Favourite Children's Poems", from the BBC.  
It includes this poem about British teeth, read in a mournful-but-comic classic Cockney accent.

[KungFuPanda]

Okay. That makes sense, then. Surely, counting wisdom tooth removal as "missing" teeth is a bad research practice. If you asked me if I was missing any teeth, I would say No, but I did have faulty wisdom teeth removed in my early 20's.

I'm wondering if it never occurred to the researchers that it's normal for Americans to remove wisdom teeth that are causing no problems at all. It's so easy to recover from the extraction in your late teens/early twenties that people get them taken out for no reason other than they are there and could cause problems in the future. I can see how that practice wouldn't occur to someone from a culture that doesn't do it.

[Laura Corin]

I'm wondering if it never occurred to the researchers that it's normal for Americans to remove wisdom teeth that are causing no problems at all. It's so easy to recover from the extraction in your late teens/early twenties that people get them taken out for no reason other than they are there and could cause problems in the future. I can see how that practice wouldn't occur to someone from a culture that doesn't do it.

 

The study was done by researchers in both countries, I thought.  So the US researchers didn't think about the issue either.