DT News - UK - British bad teeth myth debunked

Dental Tribune International

Thu. 17 December 2015

save

LONDON, UK: It is commonly believed that Britons are among those with the worst teeth in the world. However, new research has now shown that oral health in the UK is comparable to, or even slightly better than, in the United States.

The study that was conducted by researchers from both sides of the pond found that compared to the British, Americans, and particularly women, have less of their own teeth left. Furthermore, in the UK, mainly elderly people are affected by edentulousness, but in the US, missing teeth were found to be more prevalent in middle age groups.

Although similar large social disparities in oral health were deemed to exist in both countries, people with a lower education and income generally tended to have better teeth in Britain.

The oral health status of the wealthy and educated, however, was much better in the United States, the researchers found.

“It is established that certain ethnic minorities have poorer oral health than the majority white population. Clearly, the ethnic composition in the US and England are different and this could explain our results,” they stated in the report.

For the study, which was published in the Christmas edition of the British Medical Journal, the researchers from universities in London, Boston and Bogotá, Colombia analysed and compared data from the British Adult Dental Health Survey 2009 and the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 2005 to 2008.

It is the first study to have directly compared oral health data between the two countries.

To post a reply please login or register

Bad teeth stop Brits from smiling in photographs

LONDON, UK: Say “cheese”! Although it is meant to make people smile, this cue apparently induces the opposite in many British people. According ...

Bad teeth impair well-being of ten million UK citizens

BRISTOL, UK: A recently published study conducted by the UK dentistry group Oasis Dental Care has revealed that almost one third of the UK adult population ...

As much as £10+ a day: British parents pay kids to brush their teeth

BRENTFORD – More than one in ten parents in the UK pay their children to brush their teeth, new research has found. The study also found that despite ...

British dentist sentenced for fraud

LONDON, UK: A dentist from London has been ordered to pay more than £100,000 in compensation to the NHS within six months. If he fails to pay, he ...

British government may still choose dental radiographs to estimate asylum seeker age despite BDA opposition

LONDON, UK: After much debate about the safest and most scientific way of proving the age of individuals seeking asylum in the UK, it seems that a report ...

British Orthodontic Society announces leadership change

LONDON, UK: Prof. Jonathan Sandler is the next president of the British Orthodontic Society (BOS), the organisation has announced. The 60-year old ...

Philips becomes a partner sponsor of the British Society of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry

Philips, with its clinically proven range of sonic toothbrushes and powered interproximal flossing device, has a natural affinity with the aims of the ...

Steven Bartlett announced as headline speaker at the British Dental Conference & Dentistry Show

BIRMINGHAM, UK: Steven Bartlett, entrepreneur, speaker, investor, best-selling author and the host of Europe’s No. 1 podcast The Diary of a CEO, will be ...

British Dental Association releases its 2019 manifesto

LONDON, UK: The British Dental Association (BDA) has launched its 2019 manifesto, just prior to the upcoming general election. In the document, the trade ...

Registration opens for British Orthodontic Conference 2019

GLASGOW, UK: Registration is now open for the 2019 British Orthodontic Conference (BOC), the biggest meeting on the British orthodontic calendar, and this ...

Education

Live webinar
Fri. 26 April 2024
5:00 pm UTC (London)