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Ppl insult Brit's teeth: here's a scientific theory why the country's teeth is so bad

Aside from NHS screwing some people over, there's another reason why our teeth as a country is known to be vile.

Ok so apparently the gov'ts around the world, after the Water Care ACt 03 especially, have fluctuated the levels of "fluoridation" in water. We all know fluoride is in toothpaste and whilst it's stupid to swallow, it's good for the teeth: more than preventing damage it repairs it. But constantly applying it through consumption for instance like drinking can help long term health.

Well apparently only 10% of UK has fluoridation :erm:

Here's some links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoride_therapy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoridation_by_country#United_Kingdom
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11430233/The-extent-of-water-fluoridation-in-the-UK.html

As far as I gathered these links begin to explain why the country's teeth can suck so bad.

Just wanted to share :yy:

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Reply 1
Fluorosis due to drinking excess fluoride in the water in childhood is a very specific aesthetic problem on the surface of teeth. Even then, it's only people who live in these areas of highly fluoridated water, and swallow their toothpaste/ take fluoride tablets that really have problems

Fluorosis cannot account for crooked teeth, jacked up arches, recessive jaws, yellow teeth, cavities, gum disease, and people who are just too damn lazy to brush their teeth.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Another
Fluorosis due to drinking excess fluoride in the water in childhood is a very specific aesthetic problem on the surface of teeth. Even then, it's only people who live in these areas of highly fluoridated water, and swallow their toothpaste/ take fluoride tablets that really have problems

Fluorosis cannot account for crooked teeth, jacked up arches, recessive jaws, yellow teeth, cavities, gum disease, and people who are just too damn lazy to brush their teeth.


It can. It's not protecting the teeth from damage. I doubt all these people with bad teeth are just not brushing...Anyway this wasn't really meant to be a debate because I wasn't stating a fact, just presenting an interesting theory I've come across.


There's a lot going on here, what's your specific point?
Original post by 0to100
Aside from NHS screwing some people over, there's another reason why our teeth as a country is known to be vile.

Ok so apparently the gov'ts around the world, after the Water Care ACt 03 especially, have fluctuated the levels of "fluoridation" in water. We all know fluoride is in toothpaste and whilst it's stupid to swallow, it's good for the teeth: more than preventing damage it repairs it. But constantly applying it through consumption for instance like drinking can help long term health.

Well apparently only 10% of UK has fluoridation :erm:

Here's some links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoride_therapy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoridation_by_country#United_Kingdom
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11430233/The-extent-of-water-fluoridation-in-the-UK.html

As far as I gathered these links begin to explain why the country's teeth can suck so bad.

Just wanted to share :yy:


I've always been wondering why some people's teeth are so disgusting

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Reply 6
Original post by 0to100
It can. It's not protecting the teeth from damage. I doubt all these people with bad teeth are just not brushing...Anyway this wasn't really meant to be a debate because I wasn't stating a fact, just presenting an interesting theory I've come across.


"Damage", in this case, meaning pits and weakened enamel due to very severe fluorosis. A mild amount, ie a few white specks, will actually strengthen the tooth in that area

Fluorosis only has an effect on the appearance of the tooth surface. It's not a disease unless it's severe. Certainly has zero effect on whether your teeth are crooked or not, or how your jaw develops.

That being said, I've never met a person who had terrible teeth, and they brushed and flossed every single day without smoking. They pretty much go hand in hand. Genetic issues are out there, but very uncommon.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by maggie43
I've always been wondering why some people's teeth are so disgusting

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Yea so there's hygienic deprivation but that's not good enough. Why as a country is it always so bad, there is a reason and I am genuinely interested. It almost seems like an ethnic trait that some people here only genetically escape with the Russian Roulette of DNA :\


The most solid theories are NHS affordability and behind the times dental care; also apparently lack or excess fluoride in water :eek:
Original post by Another
Certainly has zero effect on whether your teeth are crooked or not, or how your jaw develops.


Prove it.

Anyway again as I said it's a theory and this has never been stated in my thread nor any links I posted to be the definite cause. Yet I am and many scientists are sure it has something to do with it, calm down now. You can respond again but I now find no reason left to discuss this you. 7am and you're bolding and underlining words, like what's your problem? :ahee:
Reply 9
Original post by 0to100
Prove it.

Anyway again as I said it's a theory and this has never been stated in my thread nor any links I posted to be the definite cause. Yet I am and many scientists are sure it has something to do with it, calm down now. You can respond again but I now find no reason left to discuss this you. 7am and you're bolding and underlining words, like what's your problem? :ahee:


Your "scientists" so far have been Wikipedia and The Telegraph. And it's all statistics. Not pathophysiology. I care because you're spreading false information. I take it you would like a science lesson then?

Crooked teeth can happen when you suck your thumb as a kid, you loose one of your milk teeth too early, you lose one of your adult teeth, you chew on pens or other foreign objects. Movement of the tooth inside the jaw is completely dependent on the socket surrounding the root. The quality of enamel has no effect.

And trying to prove that fluorosis has an effect on jaw development, is like trying to prove that picking up dogs can cause skin cancer. Not even remotely related
Water fluoridation isn't necessarily a good thing. It can be good for teeth, sure, but it's not really good for overall health. Besides, we have water fluoridation here in the US, and my Mom's teeth are still terrible. They have been since she was a child. I have good teeth because of my Dad. She brushes and flosses every day, I do the bare minimum and get by fine.

One of them is crooked, one of her back teeth just fell apart, and at one point they even thought they'd have to break her jaw to deal with the way one of them grew in.

I think at the end of the day, bad teeth just run in some families, and your hygiene habits along with the foods you eat either help or hinder what you get by nature.
btw the British have better teeth than Americans (if you didn't already know this).

The average number of missing teeth was significantly higher in the US (7.31) than in England (6.97), and that people were more likely to suffer poor dental health because of socioeconomic factors if they lived in the US.

http://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h6543
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Another
Your "scientists" so far have been Wikipedia and The Telegraph. And it's all statistics. Not pathophysiology. I care because you're spreading false information.


Lol I'm not spreading false information, I'm sharing an interesting article I read, and those links contain several sources from scientists.
If you're female you must be on your cycle, there's really no reason to be so wound up over this. :lolwut: I never said this is the reason. I said it's a theory!



Original post by jeremy1988
Water fluoridation isn't necessarily a good thing. It can be good for teeth, sure, but it's not really good for overall health. Besides, we have water fluoridation here in the US, and my Mom's teeth are still terrible. They have been since she was a child. I have good teeth because of my Dad. She brushes and flosses every day, I do the bare minimum and get by fine.

One of them is crooked, one of her back teeth just fell apart, and at one point they even thought they'd have to break her jaw to deal with the way one of them grew in.

I think at the end of the day, bad teeth just run in some families, and your hygiene habits along with the foods you eat either help or hinder what you get by nature.




Original post by dfwafawfafaw
btw the British have better teeth than Americans (if you didn't already know this).


Well I never said other countries have great teeth. I'm concerned about why it's so constant here, honestly it is constant lol There's loads of reasons, there isn't an official one. I've attributed it to genes, to hygiene or lack thereof, the dental care system, to fluoride lack of or excess of. I said all this already. It can be all these, not exclusively one. I just added a less commonly known theory cuz I found it interesting.
Original post by 0to100
There's a lot going on here, what's your specific point?


Read the article :smile:
Original post by fr0sr_
Read the article :smile:


I did.

Why'd you post it? It just said stuff about NHS being behind USA. Not sure how this connects to fluoride.
Original post by 0to100
I did.

Why'd you post it? It just said stuff about NHS being behind US. Not sure how this connects to fluoride.


Good. Well the OP title was "Ppl insult Brit's teeth: here's a scientific theory why the country's teeth is so bad" and the article states that:
"It's going to take some time to overcome but the UK is definitely making progress.
Statistics suggest that, taken on pure oral health rather than appearance, the UK does better than the US.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) figures, the average number of missing or filled teeth for a 12-year-old in the UK in 2008 (the latest figures available) was 0.7. This was the joint best rating that year.

The last figure reported by the OECD for the US, in 2004, was 1.3 - when the UK also got 0.7. The UK's decay and replacement rates started falling below those of the US during the mid-1990s. Going back to 1963, the UK rate was as high as 5.6."My point being is that as compared to other countries, our teeth aren't actually that bad it seems (according to the BBC, at least. - I would be intrigued to see other figures and stats.)
Original post by 0to100
Lol I'm not spreading false information, I'm sharing an interesting article I read, and those links contain several sources from scientists.
If you're female you must be on your cycle, there's really no reason to be so wound up over this. :lolwut: I never said this is the reason. I said it's a theory!


Haha! Menstrual cycle joke! How hilarious and mature.

Genetics can cause jacked up teeth. I never denied that. I just said that it was rare - more often that not the problem is people not taking care of their teeth (not in the case of Jeremy's mother, clearly)

My original point was that fluorosis can cause surface staining, but does not account for every tragedy of a dentition in the UK. At which point, you start trying to convince me that fluorosis can indeed cause jaw development defects and crooked teeth, gum disease, etc on zero evidence. That, is false information.
Original post by fr0sr_
Good. Well the OP title was "Ppl insult Brit's teeth: here's a scientific theory why the country's teeth is so bad" and the article states that:
"It's going to take some time to overcome but the UK is definitely making progress.
Statistics suggest that, taken on pure oral health rather than appearance, the UK does better than the US.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) figures, the average number of missing or filled teeth for a 12-year-old in the UK in 2008 (the latest figures available) was 0.7. This was the joint best rating that year.

The last figure reported by the OECD for the US, in 2004, was 1.3 - when the UK also got 0.7. The UK's decay and replacement rates started falling below those of the US during the mid-1990s. Going back to 1963, the UK rate was as high as 5.6."My point being is that as compared to other countries, our teeth aren't actually that bad it seems (according to the BBC, at least. - I would be intrigued to see other figures and stats.)


Ok well I don't wanna compare the lesser of two evils. I don't wanna dismiss our situation and healthcare system possibly not being good enough to cover everyone, or the equipment apparently not being where it needs to, according to the article you linked. I wanna get down to why UK's teeth can be so rank, and everyone knows this is an issue with this country.
Reply 18
I'm interested to know more about this after being in the UK for a little while and noticing some differences between people from other countries - Americans are a good example. Many that I've met tend to have straighter and whiter teeth. I don't know how many were privileged enough to have braces when they were younger or perhaps even teeth whitening treatments (I've heard from at least one American that they knew a few people in high school who had treatments for prom or something similar).

On another note I have noticed that people from Japan tend to have well-kept teeth, possibly due to "hamigaki", which is the art of brushing your teeth after every meal and teaching your children the importance of clean teeth. :smile:
Original post by aterax
I'm interested to know more about this after being in the UK for a little while and noticing some differences between people from other countries - Americans are a good example. Many that I've met tend to have straighter and whiter teeth. I don't know how many were privileged enough to have braces when they were younger or perhaps even teeth whitening treatments (I've heard from at least one American that they knew a few people in high school who had treatments for prom or something similar).

On another note I have noticed that people from Japan tend to have well-kept teeth, possibly due to "hamigaki", which is the art of brushing your teeth after every meal and teaching your children the importance of clean teeth. :smile:


Hi :smile: And yea it's got to be a cultural thing about hygiene on top of other possibilities. I mean it's kind of ridiculous, and the people who normally seem to be born to grow poor teeth are poor people, at least here. :erm: It could be in the water, and the gov't controls which area gets which quality; it's also definitely the cost of getting your teeth done here.

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