iaink

My Dentist had a hard time maintaining his profesionalism when it came to his assesment of the cosmetics of my UK NHS crown. He had nothing possitivve to say about it other than at least it hadnt fallen out yet. Every hygenist I have seen here has no trouble picking out the UK dentistry from the Canadian.

I came of my bike here a few years ago and did some damage. Needed some root canal and a few bits and pieces as a result. Fortunatly "accidental dental" is 100% coverage and not limited by my insurance, so that saved me about $2k in costs. I'd post a picture for "show and tell", but I dont want to scare anyone

Its like night and day, the difference in dental care here and in the UK. How easy is it to find an NHS dentist in the UK now as a new patient anyway?

Anyway, Im pretty sure I posted actual costs of treatments here not that long ago if the OP wants to search.

Investor

In my case it is probably hereditary rather than due to poor care. I have always had regular check-ups since being small but all my large teeth are filled. In recent years I have found that decay does not happen but one got a vertical hairline crack for no apparent reason, and another has chipped a small piece from the top.
I can go for years at a time without needing treatment, then suddenly find I need several appointments within a few months, which is why I need to try and make financial decisions regarding insurance.

dbd33

With North Americans it's about money; teeth are to them what accents are to Brits.

I derive some wry humour from looking at the North American teeth around me. Two of my daughters have perfect teeth, as they kids grew up we referred to the many trips to the dentist/orthodonist as being in pursuit of "American teeth". Their teeth cost about $20,000 each (lifetime), none of which was covered by insurance but much of which was written off through careful use of the medical expense tax deduction. My young American lover, on the other hand, did not grow up with an unlimited budget for decorative dentistry. Her teeth are no better aligned than mine. They are less filled but that's due to drugs in the water supply and the same may very well be true of British people of the same age.

Liana

Those of us who grew up in the UK do not have the advantage that our Canadian relatives have- fluoride added to our water; it really helps prevent decay and you can see a notable difference in the teeth quality with the amount of fillings etc that we have had to have.
Can't believe this - is better dental health one of the reasons we are still all here ?

iaink

It seems to me that a far larger proportion of the US and Canadian population live outside the city limits, with personal wells as a water source. So maybe its not entirely the flouride.

hudd

I assume as a Brit you have not lived in the deep in the sticks in Canada.
We notice that many of the locals had teeth missing at a very young age. In one town I lived in the age working mans wage as $10/hr. No NHS dental care for low income or free for kids. some kids in my sons class parents could not afford to send them to the dentist.
I was pretty happy with my dentists in the UK and Canada. Just been to the dentist today, £25 for a filling. The village practice we go feel more family orientated as the 3 practices I used in Canada felt more like a production line. The dentist would be treating 4 -6 patients at a time.

iaink

Dont most canadians have teeth missing from an early age

I wasnt just thinking about our canadian sourced #2 offspring who still seems to have all her teeth missing, but rather that a side effect of fanatiacal hockey playing is the loss of at least a couple of front teeth by the time they are playing full contact rules

I guess the difference is how well the damage is hidden, and whether the working poor can afford to fix it. FWIW there is some dentistry covered by Welfare, but that kicks in a a very low income, and some are too proud to go down that path.

hudd

I not referring to a 5 to 12 year, but people in 20's and 30's.

I knew a fellow at the local lumber yard I used to go to. He made $10/yr and he told me he had to pay for his own health care for his family.

My brother inlaw makes about £14k and get all his dentistry free for him and his family in England.

iaink

If you lose them in your teens, they dont grow back you know!

Alberta_Rose

I have been waiting for the chance to post this:

I overheard a snatch of conversation between two guys at Sunshine last season.... they were talking about some girl...

guy#1: ..... oh was she British??

guy#2: ..... I think so, .... at least, she had British teeth!

(I don't think he was being complimentary!)

Regarding Flouride in the water supply ....... they've done that for decades back in West Sussex where I hail from. Some people protest against it, referring to it as "mass poisoning"!!

hudd

they do if your a crocodile??

MarkG

Not much NHS dental care in the UK, either. And frankly, I'm far more impressed with my non-NHS dentist than the 'fill 'em or pull 'em' NHS dentist I had as a kid.

Steve_P

or a shark.

Biiiiink

Exactly, here it's a business churning out A1 teeth for all. In the UK it's providing perfectly adequate treatment at as low cost as possible. Neither system is perfect, somewhere in between would be

Butch Cassidy

On that kinda wage I'm suprised he could feed himself never mind anything else.