http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7633254.stm It's an old article I found on the BBC website and it piqued my interest A LOT. You see, I've had braces on for 14 years (Gasp! My mum didn't give up until I got straight, white teeth). I switched dentists 3 times (the first one was full of hot air, the second one did the most damage to my teeth, and the third one was heaven sent). My 2nd dentist wreaked havoc on my teeth so much that the roots of my upper teeth started to dissolve so by the time I got to my 3rd dentist, every treatment had to be done slowly but surely. After a lot of pain and whizzing, we got there in the end and I'm now left with straight, even, white teeth and a smile the boyfriend dies for. The boyfriend, being a Brit, doesn't have the perfect set of pearly whites we'd usually see on Americans, but I find that it lends more character to him and it suits me perfectly. It's one of those tiny details that endear to me and is truly his alone. He thanks his lucky stars though that he found someone with "such a beautiful, transfixing smile" and, secretly, I thank mine because nothing compares to the way he looks at me when he sees me approaching from a distance. Enough from me. I'm starting to get mushy. *hands microphone over* Your thoughts regarding the article? The comments section is hilarious.
I think more and more brits are having braces these days. My daughter had braces at the earliest age possible which was her earlier teenage years, just at the wrong time in many respects and I recall it was such an ordeal having orthodontistry. I seem to remember wires and elastic bands at night. She had what is known as an "under bite". The orthodontistry worked but it wasnt a complete success as she didnt stick rigidly to the necessary routine. Invisiline didnt exist at the time.
I handed several thousand quid to my dentist in Bangkok earlier this year for extensive dental crown work, and now have perfect white teeth at the top. People now compliment me on my smile! I guess I will need another few thousand quid soon as my bottom teeth are still British style.
I experienced that kind of treatment too with my 2nd dentist. Lots of wires and elastic bands strung over the brackets at night. It was a very painful ordeal.
Good for you, Dave_E! I hear they do great cosmetic dental work in Bangkok, as well as in Japan & Seoul.
I had braces for about 2 years during uni. My teeth aren't that bad but I was too scared to have all my wisdom teeth pulled out so I opted for braces. The dentist is a family friend and had the heaviest hand that made me swear never to go back to her for other procedures. It took 4 visits to fully extract my 3rd molar. I don't want to go into details anymore because it was a very traumatic time for me. After she issued me my retainers (which I never really used), I never went back to her anymore. I now go to another dentist who is a lot more gentle. And I remember telling my husband that it seems whether in London or Cornwall, I notice a lot of Brits with bad teeth. I guess it isn't something a lot of people prioritize there and since the NHS privatized dental health, maybe more and more people won't be so keen in taking care of their teeth?
Worst treatment I ever had was well over ten years ago. An (ex) UK NHS dentist in Leeds did an amalgum filling on one of my back teeth. It crumbled within weeks, my dentist in Luxembourg spent a long time sorting it out, I knew things were not going well. Finally he stopped and spoke, "Never ever go to this dentist again, I have never seen such bad work". My UK dentist had not cleaned out the tooth before putting in the filling.
blue_acid: Eep I feel you and your averse reaction towards heavy-handed dentist. My first dentist was so full of herself. She was the one who extracted my 3rd molars and while she was doing it, she kept on telling herself that she's really good at it and her assistants kept cheering her on. In their fervor to cheer this very stupid dentist on, they forgot to give me anesthesia and they kept on tugging my tooth out. It hurt like hell. Dave_E: Yikes another dental horror story!
Was she a blonde? Oops, Filipinos have dark hair. There seems to be a lot of female Dentist in the Philippines. Have yet to see one in Britain
I only remember her surname: Coronacion. She originally had a clinic in the Fairview area and subsequently moved her practice to Mandaluyong. She's awful
The NHS only covers orthodontics where there is a real medical need for them - my oldest son did get treatment under the NHS but that was concerned with removing surplus teeth and re-aligning his bite, not with his looks. British boys and indeed girls often play contact sports at school and are advised not to consider crowns etc until they have stopped playing. My teeth look awful and I have never got round to having them sorted, but at least they are not falling out... yet. The avatar snap makes the point quite well... but K's front teeth are not quite perfect - one of them is at a slight odd angle. I consider this a part of her attraction, along with the freckles, which must descend from some Spanish friar having his wicked way with an ancestress...
