how funny

[snow_wind]

You know, it's funny how one of the stereotypes Americans have about the Japanese is that they have bad teeth or that their dental care is particularly bad. Because, like many stereotypes, it's just not true

Comments

[zenhansei]

It's not the dental care, it's the lack of orthodontics. A ton of my kids have nice pearly whites, but they're so crooked.

[snow_wind]

But they do have orthodontics here. I've seen one or two people with braces, but they are few and far between. And my dentist asked me whether I had braces as a child, and made a comment about how braces make it so hard to keep teeth clean - and the way he said it made me think that maybe dentists here don't encourage it.

[zenhansei]

Right, but it's viewed as cosmetic and not necessary, so it doesn't enter the mainstream. It's also why they're so expensive, so cost is a factor for a lot of the families around here.