<p>Here in the UK, braces are only applied if they are medically necessary, not for cosmetic reasons. They are covered by NHS for children under 18 (if medically necessary) but otherwise you have to private pay which is unaffordable for most people. Private dental insurance helps, but not everyone has it. So, in general, the British do not have the nice straight teeth that the Americans do. Seems like almost every kid in the US has braces (and Medicaid pays for braces for almost any reason, which is ridiculous). </p>