The Big Bad Myth about British Teeth 

If us Brits are the butt of a joke, you can bet your bottom dollar it’ll have something to do with our teeth.

It seems since time began, we have always been renowned across the world for having dodgy smiles and decaying teeth.

But are we really all that bad? Do our teeth really look as though they’ve come from a Dickensian novel, or are our foreign friends out of touch with what’s really going on in modern Britain?

Well, according to TV Doctor Chris van Tulleken, our image across the globe for oral health is a “really lousy” one and apparently we don’t pay enough attention to tooth decay and staining of the teeth.

But Ewan Bramley Dental Care, who looks after hundreds of patients right here in the UK, doesn’t think this is right or fair!

Our very own Dr Ewan Bramley thinks foreign perceptions of our smiles are incorrect and out of date.

“People who come to our practice definitely want to make their teeth look better and I’m pretty confident this is the same throughout the UK,” explains Ewan.

“In America, for example, many celebrities want their teeth to look the same as everybody else, but over here I think people want a more natural look that complements their facial structure and personal style. You just have to look at the Duchess of Cambridge’s smile to see that.

“Thousands of patients in Britain have definitely heard of teeth straightening, dental implants and teeth whitening, but they use it in a more natural way.”

And, according to official statistics, UK private spending on improving teeth has increased significantly in recent times.

It reached £1.86bn in 2014 and, according to the market research, it has increased by 27% since 2010.

And it doesn’t end there.

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.

So there you have it. It may take a little time to overcome, but the UK seems to be making steady progress and that’s backed up by solid facts.

Statistics suggest that, taken on pure oral health rather than appearance, the UK does better than the US.

But there are some damaging similarities between our kids here in the UK and those from across the pond and work still needs to be done.

Research suggests that our youth are constantly exposed to sugary foods and drinks, a major cause of decay.

And the cultural stereotype of British teeth being really bad may still hold some truth. While only 6% of UK adults have no natural teeth – compared to the 1978 figure of 37% – people in the UK are among the most likely in Europe (72%) to attend dental surgeries, second only to those in the Netherlands (79%).

Meanwhile, two in three children aged 12 are now found to be free of visible dental decay, compared with fewer than one in 10 in 1973.

So, are the jokes likely to stop? Probably not, but we’re getting there Britain!