Why are Americans so obsessed with dentistry?
Why are Americans so obsessed with dentistry?
The dental industry in America is massive. Why is it such an important part of the American lifestyle?
It's hard to eat without teeth and we like to eat.
Because all of our food is stuffed with sugar and our teeth rot rapidly as a result.
I’m American, but I’ve lived in several different countries pretty much my whole life.
Culturally, America is a little weird about keeping up appearances no matter the cost. That’s not exclusively an American thing, obviously, but in my experience, we’re the absolute worst at this. People will do absolutely, wildly insane and irresponsible shit to make sure they look like they have their shit together, including getting into debt. Again, I know this all happens overseas too, but everything is louder, flashier, bigger here, and so is this.
One of the biggest cultural problems that we have is the deeply ingrained idea that poverty is the result of poor choices, stupidity, etc. — and when I say “deeply ingrained”, I mean deeply ingrained. Most people don’t even realize that they feel that way, and even people who are poor through absolutely no fault of their own may believe deep down that it is their fault and they’re worthless or stupid etc. Once again, the idea that people are poor because they make bad choices is not uniquely American by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s orders of magnitude more deeply ingrained and pervasive here, so much so that just looking like you’re poor in can ruin your chances in life.
What does that have to do with teeth? Well, they’re an indicator of socioeconomic status here. I have a snaggle tooth that I’m only self-conscious about when I’m here. People notice, they will literally avert their eyes when they see it, and I instinctively hide it to the point of avoiding smiling altogether. When I’m in Japan, or Ireland (or really anywhere in Europe), not only do I not feel self-conscious at all, but it’s not hard to find other snaggle-toothed people, all smiling without a care in the world. As long as your teeth aren’t rotten or something, nobody seems to care.
Every time I’ve been to the dentist in the US, they’ve mentioned that tooth like it’s a problem that needs to be corrected, even though there’s nothing wrong with it other than the fact that it’s not straight like my other teeth. They offer braces, extractions, all kinds of shit. I keep my mouth very clean and I’ve never had a cavity in my life (I’m 42), I just have this one weird lil tooth.
When I go to the dentist overseas, they never really bring it up. They check my teeth for cavities etc. compliment my oral health, and send me on my way. The only time a non-American dentist brought it up was when he asked if it was hurting my upper lip or anything of that nature. No one outside the US ever treated it like it was a health issue that needed correction or offered me unsolicited advice for correcting it. (Disclaimer: a snaggle tooth CAN cause health problems if it makes it difficult to clean your mouth etc, but mine doesn’t — please don’t use my words as an excuse not to address issues that may be damaging your oral health).
TLDR: anything other than perfectly straight teeth makes Americans think you’re poor and being poor means you’re lazy/dumb/whatever therefore you must fix it regardless of cost. So it’s a huge industry here.
Great response. It's one thing to want to have good dental health, it's something else entirely to want to have every single one of your teeth perfectly aligned, absolutely white and positioned in artificially curated angles.
Also we have these neat filling mills called Aspen Dental where you go in and they tell you that you need six fillings right away, and your teeth might fall out while you're on your way to go get a second opinion.
Honestly I would really disagree with your claim that Americans are more obsessed with appearance and have more of a negative impression of poverty. In the Midwest/South I never saw any judgement of anyone because of their financial situation. It might be more common in coastal cities. I think there are vain people everywhere, and I haven't noticed any more or less living outside the US. I really don't understand why you think it's so much more engrained in the US- and I wonder if it's because of the people you interacted with in the US vs outside it. (For example maybe being in middle/highschool in the US, which is full of people being judgemental everywhere)
We looked across the sea and saw the people who aren't so obsessed with dentistry.
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
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.
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.
Citation needed
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.
Least British Lemmy user
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.
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.
Because we can't afford it.
Not being bri'ish
Just kidding, I'm neither lol
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.
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.
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
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.
Insurers and dentists encourage twice yearly visits. They both also encourage quick treatment of things that or may not become issues- furthermore health obsession and health fads have sometimes centered around dentistry especially where now 30-50 year olds(parents) witnessed a lot of anti-sweetener campaigning with one the central arguments being cavities.
We've seen British people on TV.
Canadian here. Because dentistry. Is. Sales. Not. Healthcare.
It's all about upselling you on the new toothpaste, the new treatment, the beautox injections, and spending thousands of dollars on that little imperfection.
I think the difference stands in that other parts of the world may still view dentistry mainly as a medical profession. In Canada, that's the side hustle now.
Disclaimer; I have no experience with dental profession in other countries, just my two cents on dentistry in Canada.
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.