<p>They brush. LOL. They do not get regular professional cleanings, though. Tea could be a factor but I can’t imaging it’s any worse than coffee. The biggest factor is that they just don’t care about this American straight white teeth thing. I remember mentioning to a British friend once that his teeth were awful looking. I’m very blunt sometimes but I thought this was obvious. He had no idea. Really. </p>
<p>Cosmetic dentistry is just starting to become a thing in the UK - especially whitening and veneers. People want those nice American teeth. You can tell when someone has become “successful” when they get their teeth fixed. A good friend of ours won a huge lottery prize and the 2nd thing he did (after buying his mum a car) was get a chipped tooth fixed.</p>
<p>As I mentioned before, dental procedures here are really only done as medical necessities. Even kids (who get free dental care) sometimes only get cleanings once a year. In the US, my kids always went twice a year for cleanings. I suspect that most adults here rarely go in for routine cleanings, even though it only costs about $25 through NHS.</p>
<p>And if I remember correctly, when my D got braces in the States (medically necessary) our insurance paid 1/2 - but it was still quite expensive for us. When the dentist recommended it for S (not medically necessary, only for cosmetic reasons), we declined. </p>
<p>I was watching a UK documentary and there were quite a few young people with really dark, rotten teeth. How can decay get that bad that quickly? When I was a kid dental cleanings were done only once a year and no one got cosmetic treatments but I don’t remember seeing so many rotten teeth so young. </p>
<p>Europe doesnt generally fluoridate their water.
<a href=“Consider mass fluoridation of water, says health body - BBC News”>http://www.bbc.com/news/health-26729484</a></p>
<p>I was watching a made for Amazon tv show called Alpha House about GOP senators in DC.
Its good, and well cast, except one of the actors playing a senator has a missing lower tooth, and it is distracting, cause I think a senator would have his teeth fixed, but maybe not, I dont remember Patty Murray looking like shes had braces.</p>
<p>I had a gap between my two front teeth that I really hated - it detracted from my appearance and made me feel very self conscious. I really don’t think it’s attractive on anyone - even Lauren Hutton would look better without it. I got veneers as soon as I graduated from college and could afford it. I had them redone a few years ago and I’m really happy with them - I used a dentist who is nothing short of an artist. Veneers don’t have to look like perfect white chiclets - mine are natural, but very pretty. An excellent dentist can combine artistry with technology to produce amazing results. </p>
<p>My daughter did a project in the UK as a HS student a few years ago - the UK students (a fairly well-off group) all looked like they had straightened teeth, but evidently, none of them had heard about whitening, and one girl asked my D how she got such white teeth.</p>
<p>Patricia Arquette has a little vampire thing going on but I think she’s beautiful. Especially impressive she refused braces considering she grew up in a Hollywood family. Yay Patricia!</p>