Do Americans generally have "better" IE whiter/ straighter teeth than Europeans and why?

My girlfriend thinks that americans (USA and Canada) of all social classes, tend to have better teeth than their European counterparts, and if this is so, what could be the reason(s) for this. By better, she means whiter and straighter

Do Americans generally have "better" IE whiter/ straighter teeth than Europeans and why?
I think Americans are very conscious of having a nice smile - that's why so many people there get dental work done. You see it on all the makeover shows, the first thing they do is head for a dentist. It's a good thing really - bad teeth can be off-putting.
Reply:nope cos they come from europe.


My family by marriage are in the States and I have not noticed any difference between them and people at home in the UK.
Reply:Yes America and canada do. I'm nt sure about the really poor ones like russia and brazil But America does. Europeans like england eat a lot more sweets not fast food but more candy stuff. And they don't go to the dentist as much.
Reply:No. Rich people with access to good dental care, braces, bleaches and porcelain veneers have straighter, whiter teeth. Such people can be found just about anywhere. Possibly, concern over the appearance (rather than the health) of teeth is a greater problem in the USA though.
Reply:It could be the flouride in the water and most toothpastes. Also, braces seem to be more common here. I had to have the darned things for 5 years to correct a problem with my jaw.





Something I did notice was that many Europeans don't have the same shape of teeth I do, and that's because of my mostly Native American ancestry. We have what are called shovel teeth for the most part--they're squarish and curve a bit. Most people I know from Europe or purely Euro backgrounds have longer, flatter teeth. It may be genetic variation in that case. There may also be a variation in the strength and color of the enamel because of genetics too.
Reply:These days, it's socially unacceptable in the US to have imperfect teeth. Parents spend thousands and thousands for braces and cosmetic dentistry for their kids. Everyone walks around looking like a toothpaste commercial.
Reply:yes we do.because this is a commercial country and have more products available to us every day.we also have been raised to be superficial and to judge people on their appearance so we work hard to look good,we buy every new tooth whitener that comes out,and we stress over our looks.Europeans are more laid back and dont seem to stress as much.I'm sure on average they probably live longer than us because they dont stress themselves out as much or take as many diet,or anti aging stuff as we do.
Reply:I think that one of the reasons that it appears that most Americans and Canadian have straighter Whiter teeth is that Orthodontics are sometimes covered under their Health Insurance, and if you're going to pay out for insurance you might as well get the most out of it. In Europe until recently it was less common for dentistry to be performed on a purely cosmetic basis as cosmetic dentistry in the long run can potentially damage perfectly healthy teeth. This has changed in recent years due to the increase in private practises that concentrate solely on cosmetics. As for it being in all social classes (although I do not believe in class systems per se) she's wrong, often lower classed Americans do not have the straight white teeth of their wealthier counterparts, and neither do all better off Americans either. It is possible that she's just going on those people she sees on the TV and in magazines who will have paid out to have perfect teeth for their roles in the public eye. If you actually visit America you will see plenty of average looking and some pretty terrible looking teeth, although not as many as in Europe they still exisit.
Reply:yes, because they have the money to pay for new teeth lol
Reply:That's certainly the stereotype and it seems like if everyone else is stereotyping on this thread I will too. I'd rather have imperfect teeth than waddle my 300lb body to my Southern Baptist church.
Reply:FirstKnight61 Just saved me the trouble of explaining the differences between 'Being told what to do, using fear' and 'being left alone, to decide for yourself'. The two keywords are Repression and Expression.





Your girlfriend is asking questions, which is good. But she doesn't seem to be very bright. You might like less smart girls, maybe easier to have your way with them. Who knows.





But one thing is for certain.





The North American Fascist revolution hasn't run out of steam just yet it seems.





HEIL!
Reply:maybe because their dental treatment is more available over their, and the cost of it is surely in thier medical insurance, where as we here really on nhs for it (most of us), and as we know we have a major shortage of them!
Reply:Only film stars, the ordinary American would find it difficult to pay for the treatment that makes teeth film star white.


Having said that, teeth are not naturally bright white they are pearlescent and having these superwhite teeth is an indication that one's teeth are false or have been treated.


I honestly find that the sight of a row of ultra white perfectly straight teeth is as off putting as seeing someone that's had lots and lots of face lifts and all the real character of the face has disappeared.


My advice, keep brushing but put off the paint/bleach job.
Reply:I agree with your friend. This is because most Americans go to the dentist from a very early age. (I know there are many poor Americans who can't afford to do so.) This means that the problems which need to be dealt with in childhhod and youth are attended to. You see many American teenagers with braces, meant to straighten out teeth which are crooked or out of alignment. And Americans grow up dental-health conscious. Many floss their teeth every day in addition to brushing them, which prevents dental decay and gum disease. The two problems I see in the United States are over-dentistry, with the dentist doing more than is strictly necessary. And a steady consumption of soft and other sugary drinks is not exactly teeth-and-gums friendly. Even so one does not see many people in America whose dental problems have arisen from the lack of timely treatment., as I often did in England.Then too if people keep stressing the importance of good teeth for a social life, the tendency for everyone is to keep up with the Joneses, as it were. As for whiteness of teeth, not only does the dentist or his assistant whiten them every six months or so but there are many over-the-counter aids Americans use fairly widely. And one must not underestimate the influence of television and movie stars who have had the benefit of careful and expensive dentistry. Europeans may not (or did not until recent decades) place quite such a high value on external appearance.
Reply:Yes you are right, as they eat more Innocent men than EU. people.
Reply:I think she is refering to dental health care is probably more higher than "SOME " european countries.perhaps Ireland but you can not say all europeans countries as that is not the case
Reply:i am english and my teeth are perfect,no surgery either
Reply:apparently us GREAT English have a higher sugar content in our sweets so that won't help also the Americans have a better dental plan than us.All in all the Americans have the same blood line as us so there can't be much difference.,
Reply:Yep, we have things called toothpaste and brushes. They keep our teeth clean and white. You guys should try using them.