also, dentistry is more accessible in the UK; free treatment is available to a bigger chunk of the population, and private dental care is cheaper as well.
So, in terms of severe complications stemming from lack of dental care, the US is worse, but the obsession with straightening & whitening means that people who have got it together enough to appear in the media generally have superficially nicer teeth.
It’s like most things in America - if you’re doing ok then it’s great, and if you’re not then the rest of the country just pretends you don’t exist.
bigfondue@lemmy.world 7 months ago
It’s also because Americans will spend thousands of dollars on cosmetic procedures for their preteens. Braces are not as common elsewhere. Europeans think a lot of Americans look like they have dentures because of this.