Remember the repulsive, glass-shattering smiles of Austin Powers?
Yeah, that smile.
It’s an image Powers, and Brits everywhere, just can’t shake.
Until now.
A new study has now famously debunked the stereotype that English people have crooked, yellow, terrible teeth. And, it turns out the joke’s on us Americans.
The study, comically dubbed “Austin Powers Bites Back“, found that “the oral health of U.S. citizens is not better than the English, and there are consistently wider educational and income oral health inequalities in the U.S. compared with England.”
For the study, researchers looked at dental data for thousands of men and women age 25 and over in both countries. They found the mean number of missing teeth was “significantly higher” in the United States than in England — 7.31 teeth compared to 6.97.
The team also found that “adults in the lowest socioeconomic position tended to have better oral health in England, while those at the top educational or income levels were generally better in the US.”
As the report points out, Americans’ longstanding belief that the British have terrible teeth dates back at least 100 years, when toothpaste advertisements praised American smiles. It’s reportedly the first analytical study to compare levels of oral health between the two countries.
What was now funny, is now a sad reality for us here in America. Dental health is failing for many people. It’s time for Americans to get in to see their dentist ASAP!
