Movie Stars with Awful Teeth

[Consolation]

<p>Personally, I have no problem with Jessica Pare’s teeth. They are just “awful” by industry standards.</p>

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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.

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<p>I’m fairly certain that most Americans also have to pay out of pocket for their children’s braces. We certainly did. </p>

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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).

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<p>It is actually quite difficult for people on Medicaid to find dentists who will accept it. The standard of care is also quite different, in some cases. For example, teeth being pulled rather than have a root canal and a crown. Visibly missing teeth will definitely affect employability. Although I am not convinced that Medicaid will pay for braces for “almost any reason,” I am happy to know that Medicaid is not allowing what in our society is basically a a lifelong class stigmata to persist.</p>