The dental industry in America is massive. Why is it such an important part of the American lifestyle?
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It can also be read as a sign of which class you’re in. I’d blend decently with middle or upper middle class folks, but my “jacked up teeth” (others’ words, not mine) are a dead giveaway about my socioeconomic background. Fortunately, it’s only really visible on the bottom ones. This is also probably part of why my parents kicked that can down the road until it was my problem.
I’d get braces, except I’m only just at the point (after thousands in repairs) of even having a healthy baseline since I didn’t have access to dental care for years. It’s separate and not included in our normal health insurance, and it’s also not required, so if you’re poor, it’s a cost that often gets delayed or cut altogether. Back when I was a kid or through my early career years when I was just trying to keep myself fed and housed, it probably would have been cheaper. Then I was just plain terrified of what the results would be if I DID go to the dentist. I’m still playing catch up and can’t even get to braces if I wanted to until I get my wisdom teeth pulled, because there just isn’t room otherwise.
Tooth problems can also become more serious health problems if they get bad enough.
Capitalism -> competitiveness -> trying to look your best -> wanting perfect teeth
Do people in socialist countries not care about physical appearance? Odd since I have known people who live in planned group owned collectives and they didn’t look like any uglier or better than the rest of the population.
There was a thing in Japanese culture where women with crooked teeth were considered more beautiful
There was also a trend where braces were extremely popular, because some teen celeb got them. My dentist friend said that even kids with perfect teeth were asking for braces, because it was the fashion at the time.
They are. Don’t kink shame.
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No, that’s just for people who have lots of dental problems and need to have basically everything replaced with veneers. Some very wealthy people do have this done for aesthetics, but it’s not common. The more common thing is for kids or teenagers or have braces put on their teeth so they grow in place better. I had them from age 12-14.
I don’t like having cavities.
I don’t want to lose most of my teeth and have to wear dentures in my 60s.
The cleaning I get every 6 months is able to remove crap that regular brushing and flossing doesn’t.
We looked across the sea and saw the people who aren’t so obsessed with dentistry.
Poor oral health care can have disastrous health results over all.
Also, bad bite hurts so bad… Spending few grand is worth it. Linda like lasik
The overall healthcare industry in America is massive, thanks to it not being a human right over there. Dentistry, being a part, is also massive as a result.
Because all of our food is stuffed with sugar and our teeth rot rapidly as a result.
I’ve been known to skip visiting a doctor after a bad injury. But I will not skip going to the dentist once a toothache starts setting in. If I’m doing things right, archaeologists will find a perfect set of teeth among a pile of dust when they dig up my remains. I do not want to be subjected to even the slightest dental issue!
Ehm, when you notice a toothache, it’s already pretty late. You should see your dentist twice a year and then the cavities can be fixed before they are even noticable.
It’s hard to eat without teeth and we like to eat.
US spends a lot more on healthcare than anywhere else and dental health is still healthcare. From a quick bit of research it doesn’t seem like they spend significantly more on dental industry than other countries.
US healthcare is expensive for a number of reasons, mainly being health insurance+drug companies like $$$ and own our politicians
I think an important distinction should be made between dentistry and orthodontics. I believe that in many countries with public healthcare, dental coverage is pretty normal. What many governments don’t pay for is orthodontics (teeth straightening, braces, bite fixing, etc) and so most people go without it (eg memes about British people having crooked teeth).
In the USA, orthodontics is a huge industry. It’s all about having straight perfect teeth. I don’t know why it started, but the reason it’s stuck around is mostly aesthetics and inertia IMO. If everyone around you has straight teeth, you’ll feel left out if you have crooked teeth. It’s also a huge moneymaker for dentists themselves. I avoided dentists for several years because I got tired of them trying to sell me expensive aesthetic services, like whitening or special bite splints.
You get orthodontics under German public health care, still US American teeth are something else entirely. It feels like basically everybody has veneers over there.
And yes, the UK is something else, too, when it comes to dental health care. Not in a good way, mind you.
I’m old enough to have adult children and I know one person with veneers.
I’m old enough to have grandchildren and I know exactly zero people with veneers (in Germany – I do know people from the US with). Is this a contest?
Veneers are extremely uncommon in the US. That’s what they’ve saying. You said it seemed like everyone here had them.
Also, a smile is the first thing you notice about someone and a nice smile is better than having a mouth full of snaggle toofs. But yeah, aesthetics…
This. I think every culture has beauty standards, and some of them inspire a lot of people to do pretty drastic procedures. It’s pretty mainstream in America to covet straight, gleaming white teeth.
I’m guessing there’s some long history of orthodontics in USA that intersects with phrenology, marketing to people’s low self-esteem, and piggy-backing on government and orgs’ campaigns for dental health (extrapolating from medical necessity to aesthetics.)
Also I think there’s a weird thing where parents are paying for braces for their kids. Notionally parents want their kids to be confident, but I also sense an undercurrent of social signalling of wealth and status, along the lines of putting solar panels on the north roof of the house if that’s where the neighbors will see them.
Straight teeth last longer because they get more uniform wear and are easier to keep clean.
The brits are something else, they don’t count. I am from Central Europe and I was shocked when I saw the kind of teeth brits run around with.
You know, ads for dental hygene products over here advertise with “gives you fresh breath” or “makes your teeth white”.
Over there they advertise with “prevents your teeth from falling out”.
That said, the “American Smile” and the obsession with super white teeth is something else. White does not equal healthy and many bleaching methods are actually bad for the health of your teeth.
It’s not a secret (literally front page material) that over 10 million Brits cannot get dental healthcare they need. They’re pulling their own teeth at home, it’s completely unreal.
Edit: source (yes i know, it’s the mirror, it was just the first link that popped up): https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/desperate-patients-extract-teeth-11million-29379748.amp
over 10 million Brits cannot get dental healthcare they need.
I’m an American, but I am confident that in the UK, you can get cosmetic dental work done. You may have to pay for it – like, it may not be an NHS thing – but there is a private healthcare industry that exists alongside the state-run one in the UK.
Uh, yeah. Of course you can get private stuff. You can get that anywhere, lol. That was not the question.
I’d think that it is, given that the comparison in the comment you responded to is to orthodontics in the US.
their point was that the british dental healthcare is as adequately provided for as in the US, where children die from lack of dental healthcare. ie, its not.
If it is the Mirror I don’t click it or believe it. Stop spreading propaganda.
What part of „it was the first link“ don’t you understand?
Stop spamming people’s inboxes just because you’re too fucking lazy to do a 2 min search.
If it is the Mirror I don’t click it or believe it. Stop spreading propaganda.
Lol, nobody is forcing you to click on whatever links I post, IDGAF.
I’m not your fucking research assistant, stop being an entitled %#$, do your own fucking research and…
Stop spamming people’s inboxes just because you’re too fucking lazy to do a 2 min search.
Edit: Alternatively, you can pay me 80€/h and I‘ll write an extensive paper about the dental health situation in the UK, happy to help.
Not being bri’ish
Just kidding, I’m neither lol
