
Metal-Mouths: America’s obsession with perfecting its teeth - prostoalex
http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/06/why-is-america-obsessed-perfect-teeth.html
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roflchoppa
I got expanders to address an under bite, then used front top braces for
several years. I like having str8 teeth tho. Its one of the first things i
notice on ppl too.

Euro kids, is it because you guys have public healthcare? Is it not seen as a
medical emergency for orthodontics?

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kwhitefoot
No, it's because dentistry is _not_ part of public healthcare for adults in
most European countries (or the provision is only for the most poverty
stricken).

But children's dentistry is usually free. Here in Norway dental checkups and
treatment are free for under 18s, students (I think) and pregnant women.

Badly misaligned teeth in a child would be corrected free of charge in both
the UK and Norway as far as I know. I had a brace to correct a couple of teeth
as a child in England and that was free but that was a long time ago (1966),
luckily my own children here in Norway haven't needed any such treatment.

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andygates
Here in the UK, yes, badly misaligned teeth would be corrected but ordinary
variation would not be. That's not a health issue, it's a cosmetic issue.

