Guelder Rose

I get really irritated when I hear comments about British teeth being so bad, especially when the worst teeth I have ever seen have been here in the US!

However, does anyone here now find themselves feeling self conscious about their teeth? I never had any problems in the UK about my teeth, but after being here for a couple of years and constantly hearing about having to have very shiny, white teeth, I find myself feeling awkward ... and will even try to avoid smiling!

I don't have bad teeth ... but I haven't paid the $500 to have them bleached ... so I guess you could say mine are off white! My dentist always told me that I had excellent teeth ... he also said that naturally pure white teeth were not as strong as those that were off white! Regardless, when I'm talking to someone who has obviously had all the bleaching and veneers I will consciously make the effort to keep them from seeing my teeth. It's almost like being ashamed of having good teeth just because I haven't got the spare cash for a bunch of cosmetic nonsense!

britvic

Oh Guelder Rose it's sad to hear you talk like that, come on now do we really want big white veneer teeth and end up looking like a f**king horse.

Guelder Rose

Nope, I don't want to look like that ... in fact whenever I see those bleached and veneered teeth they just look so false! But, I think my problem started when I was talking to a woman who had obviously paid vast sums for her perfect set of choppers ... when I smiled I saw her eyes move to my teeth ... and from then on I've become more and more conscious about it! And I kick myself for letting it get to me ... after all, what's next ... the obligatory boob job, face lift, buttock implants, etc!!!

Partystar

I say %$#@ 'em! She was probably jealous that you had naturally nice teeth. I feel the same way, mine are normal, I've never had any major work done, apart from a root canal & crown that my American dentist insisted that I needed, I now realise I probably didn't.

I wish I had whiter teeth, but my British dentist told me that red heads naturally have an orange tint to their teeth, which made me feel a bit better that it wasn't entirely my fault!!! Anyway, I'm happy the way they are, probably healthier than anyone else I know here!!!

BigDavyG

Look at it this way - no-one is born with gleaming white teeth, and very few people are born with perfectly straight teeth, so how can it be "normal" to have teeth that no-one is born with ???

Guelder Rose

I agree! Sadly, even my own family think it is a mortal sin not to have very shiny, white teeth ... thankfully, they have never actually said anything about mine not being perfect!

However, I was blessed with perfectly straight teeth ... and if they did ever mention the colour of my teeth I would shoot straight back with the fact that every one of them has had to resort to wearing braces to straighten theirs! That is probably the sole reason why they haven't picked on me directly ... they also have no idea of how I feel about this issue!

One other thing I have noticed from living in CA that I rarely saw in the UK, and that is having a huge gap between the two front teeth, this is especially noticable in the African American population here, where I would estimate that 50% of the people I see have a very large gap between their two front teeth. I'm guessing that it must be hereditary, has anyone else noticed this?

BigDavyG

I can whistle through my front teeth, but I've also noticed a lot of people here who look like they could eat an apple through a tennis racket.

Guelder Rose

I'm thinking it must be especially hard to be American and have a large gap between your front teeth ... as while they can get them bleached, if the gap is too large they can't get that fixed. A friend told me that he had tried to get his gap closed but his dentist had told him he would end up with two enormous front teeth that would look far worse! Thus he has joined the way of life here where he avoids smiling at all costs!!

Neathborn

I can remember a particularly mean dental assistant taking out one of those "sand blaster" things (you know the tool where it basically blasts stains off your teeth and it can hurt like hell). She even admonished me and told me not to drink so much tea, then she wouldn't have to use this particular instrument. What made it worse is that my teeth weren't that bad (never had any other complaints before or since), but she made me feel like it was a crime to get any stains on my teeth.