Upon learning that I am an American dentist, I am immediately asked the question: “Why do all Americans have good teeth?” Let's finally dispel this myth. I dare to assure you that Americans have different teeth. And there are far more people who don't have a Hollywood smile than those who shine with their pearly teeth.
What do we have in America in terms of dentistry?
1) In America there is easy access to high-tech dental offices for anyone who has the means to do so. Regular observation at least 2 times a year, a preventive approach to oral health, timely treatment and modern aesthetic technologies give us that segment that sparkles with pearly teeth and is pointed at with fingers.
2) Dentistry in America is very expensive. The average salary in the country is $44K per year, and the average cost of restoring a tooth with deep caries (root canal filling, post, superstructure, crown) is on average about $2K, i.e. More than half a month's salary is spent on the treatment of one such tooth. Not everyone will fork out the cash. Even if you have insurance, in most cases it covers no more than $1,000-1,500 per year, and even then not all procedures and not 100% of the cost. This situation gives rise to a segment of the population for whom dentistry is “too tough” in a financial sense.
3) America still has a low average level of public knowledge about dental care and prevention of oral disease, despite the efforts of professional dental associations and the government. And it’s not just the high cost of treatment. For example, for children from poor families there are programs that pay for dental services in full. However, the low cultural and social level of these families is sometimes an obstacle to comprehensive treatment and prevention of diseases in children. They are simply not taken to the dentist until they have a toothache! On the contrary, in American schools they routinely feed children candy on any occasion, giving it out as a reward. Only in recent years have they begun to introduce bans on the sale of carbonated Coca-Cola drinks in American schools, which literally dissolve teeth.
As a result, a situation often arises when the situation in the mouth is so bad that there is nothing left to do but remove all the teeth and insert removable dentures. For many, this decision seems to be the best way out of the current situation. No teeth - no problems. I often hear phrases like: “Doctor, I’m tired of my teeth, I want dentures,” “My parents lost their teeth at the age of 20, and I’m already over 30, it’s time to remove them,” “My teeth are soft, no matter how much you brush, there will still be only holes , let’s tear it all out”... In a situation where the cost of fixing one tooth is more expensive than the cost of a prosthesis, many choose the cheaper route. Americans do not have a complex about missing teeth and do not associate this with the onset of old age.
Diseases that affect millions of American teeth every year: tooth decay and gum disease (periodontitis/periodontal disease).
Caries eats the very flesh of the tooth and as a result, small roots remain, which are completely impossible to chew. For this patient, I removed 25 teeth in 15 minutes, because all I had to do was pick out these stumps left from the teeth.
And these extracted teeth were in almost perfect condition, but due to the loss of jawbone and gums due to periodontal disease, they swayed like young birch trees in a slight gust of wind. In black I marked the surface of the teeth, which was once covered with bone, and everything below the black zone is the support of the bone that remains.
On average, I remove teeth from 6-8 American mouths per week for the reasons stated above.
The denture industry in America occupies a huge segment in dentistry; there are entire networks of clinics that inexpensively remove teeth and insert dentures. And these dentures, if they are made well, look no worse than real teeth - smooth, white, and they also point fingers at these people, sometimes wondering where they got such a “Hollywood smile”.
Everyone loves to watch movies and wonder: “Why do Americans have white teeth?” After all, expressions from the United States are known - Hollywood, American smiles. How is the effect of “American beauty” actually achieved? It's all about the popularity of dental services , after all, natural color is not so snow-white.
Indeed, in the United States of America, not only famous singers, actors, diplomats, but also ordinary citizens engage in teeth whitening. Therefore, the United States of America is the leader among countries in the number of citizens using this dental service. In second place you can see the UK, and Sweden closes the top three.
It turns out that people with naturally colored teeth face difficulties at work and in the social environment. These results were summed up after a study by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
A snow-white smile with straight teeth is an indicator of a person’s accuracy and success. Over the four years from two thousand three to two thousand seven, 300% more people decided to make their own smile snow-white. Residents of the country are even ready not to eat sweets in order to maintain their whiteness.
US dental clinics, companies producing equipment and materials for whitening earn more than tens of billions of dollars per year.
For what other reasons do Americans pay attention to the color of their teeth?
Why Americans have white teeth can be understood by reading the factors that are important for an American resident:
- For US citizens, both career and financial well-being are very important. A person with white teeth without cracks or dark areas will have high self-esteem, which means that such a person will feel confident during a job interview;
- a neat, well-groomed person with white teeth will inspire more confidence in others;
- in America, the cult of beauty, care for health, body, and the cult of youth are very important, so Americans also take care of their oral cavity accordingly;
- If an American changes the appearance of his teeth, his life will also change dramatically. The transformation effect is also very popular in the US;
- popularity with availability of services provided in all dental hospitals;
- Americans love to drink coffee, which darkens their teeth, so this procedure is in demand in America;
- Enamel whitening not only allows you to achieve a beautiful appearance, but also a healing effect. The risk of diseases and caries will be reduced, because the surface is professionally cleaned before this procedure;
- a person with snow-white teeth will carefully monitor the condition of not only the teeth, but also the oral area, so that the procedure is not carried out in vain.
How things are in the Russian Federation
This procedure is gaining popularity in the Russian Federation, but is not used on such a scale as in America.
Indeed, when they hire employees, they pay attention to their appearance, whether the person takes care of himself and his health.
Therefore, Russian citizens should also adopt the habit of caring for the oral cavity, visiting a dental specialist, and whitening teeth.
If you do not take care of your teeth, then in addition to the terrible yellow color, you can become the owner of various diseases and unpleasant odor from the oral cavity.
Regular visits to a specialist will help avoid such problems. Otherwise, it will be unpleasant for people to be around you, work, communicate.
Whitening will help you become a beautiful, successful, confident person!
Everyone in Russia today knows for sure: in order to properly cure/whiten/replace/clean your teeth, you need to pay a lot of money. Therefore, most of us strive for the maximum degree of pragmatism regarding teeth: “if it hurts, then I’ll cure it” - this is approximately how the average Russian thinks. But what is going on in the minds of American citizens? What do they put above all else when it comes to teeth? Read our MINI investigation :-)
What is the first thing you associate with an American? Of course, a snow-white smile, like in the Lacalut advertisement :-) Here we must pay tribute to our old friend - Hollywood. Do you often see heroes with bad teeth on screens? I think the answer is clear. And there is no need to argue: the percentage of white teeth in films, TV series and TV shows tends to be a hundred, and nothing stops producers and directors from launching scenarios where people walk in a post-apocalyptic world with shiny and strong teeth, in starched T-shirts, white socks and clean shoes.
Well, okay, let’s leave these digressions to the conscience of those who remove such products and release them into the masses in order to maintain sales of “super-mega-nano-ultra-effective teeth whitening and care products.”
This, by the way, is one of the factors that contributed to the formation of Cult of White Teeth (KBZ) . This cult grew out of the need to have white teeth, because... many have them. Yes, yes, don't be surprised stars aren't born with perfect veneers. A sparkling smile has become an integral part of the management level in the state and business. In general, every self-respecting person who has influence and the power to make decisions anywhere has white teeth, which means that his subordinates or partners seeking to climb the career ladder or sign a lucrative contract should also have a dazzling smile.
No businessman wants to make a mistake to investors because of his teeth. .
Thus, this damn pyramid of the need for white teeth is so ingrained in the American consciousness that it has become the CBA and has spread to all levels of society.
And we’re not even talking about the health of the teeth and oral cavity, since snow-whiteness does not at all indicate their healthy condition (quite the opposite: the healthy and natural color of teeth is yellowish).But why do Americans have white teeth?
So, friends, let’s see where the Americans got their “dental fad” from:
1. Although in Russia you will have to pay a lot of money for a dentist, in the states the same procedures will cost even more money.
And this fact makes all Americans frantically take care of their teeth, and using not only a toothbrush and toothpaste, oh no... :-) Feel free to add here (without fail!) dental floss, balms, tooth powders, whitening strips and other delights of scientific progress.
Yes, here’s another thing: many people don’t have ordinary toothbrushes, but electric ones, and they brush their teeth not for 2-3 minutes, but for 7-15. Those. a guy can walk around the house with a toothbrush in his mouth, make coffee, throw out the trash, read the newspaper and at the same time polish the enamel of his front incisors. And all these skills are acquired from childhood and for a long time, because if you do not follow the ritual of brushing your teeth, you'll go broke anyway: either to restore the health of your teeth or to have your teeth whitened at the dentist.
2. Water and food. Everyone in Russia knows that the water that flows from every tap in every house in our vast country has been purified with chlorine. So, in states purify water with fluoride, which is useful in general, and in particular for teeth. They also say that everyday food products in America contain more phosphorus, which, you see, is very useful.
3. Although dentists in the states are expensive, most people visit them once every six months for prevention, and not when you get sick. In the budget of every American family there is an item “funds for the dentist”, because for them it is a necessity, like food, water and air.
In general, we can talk about the Cult of Teeth in America for a long time. Why do Americans have white teeth? Why are they striving for this? Is whitening good or bad?
The topic is truly inexhaustible.
Some aspects of teeth whitening
Teeth whitening, like everything else, is usually carried out in only one way - an oxidation reaction
(in case you don't forget about chemistry).
If you don’t remember, I’ll be happy to remind you.
Any organic dye, i.e. a compound due to which every fabric is dyed, be it clothing (cotton, linen, wool, leather...)
or living biological tissue (hair, bone...) - has a certain color only due to a clearly defined chemical formula of the substance contained and coloring this or that structure. If this substance (dye) is destroyed (the chemical formula is changed), then its color will fall through the ground or change.
So the easiest way to do this is by combining a substance (dye) with oxygen, i.e. oxidize.
But again, if you don’t forget, molecular oxygen has the formula O2, and the most active for the purpose of carrying out any oxidation reaction will be its lone atom - O, more correctly atomic oxygen.
Therefore, it is necessary not just to blow oxygen from a cylinder onto some more persistent dye, but to carry out some kind of chemical reaction, the result of which will be the formation of atomic oxygen (O), so that before it combines into a molecule (O2), it has time to combine with the substance being painted and destroy it.
Or influence the oxygen molecule with some energy and split it into atoms for the same purpose - to make oxygen more active.
This whole lecture of mine is for all those who would like or have already asked questions about the various existing methods of chemical teeth whitening. So now know, no matter what they smear, shine, rub, steam, etc. on you. all this is done with only one purpose - to introduce oxygen into the tissue to discolor the substance that stains the tooth bone.
But I also want to draw your attention to the fact that atomic oxygen is indeed very active, in its zeal to destroy something, and it will not begin to select an object for oxidation, but with great ease combine with almost any organic matrix, be it a dye, itself bone or other biological structure.
Because this is precisely why dyed blondes’ hair, to put it mildly, is not of the best quality.
And perhaps only Aunt ASYa from the advertisement sleeps for three months on bleached sheets, apparently out of fear that during the next bleaching procedure her sheets will simply crumble.
Well, without joking, I will say with complete seriousness that every whitening procedure necessarily leads to the destruction of any organic structure and the more often you do this to your teeth, the sooner you can be convinced of this.
For example, any of you have used hydrogen peroxide to stop bleeding and paid attention to the disappearance of its red tint, but I remain hopeful that you understand that along with the red color, the blood itself disappears as such, i.e. is destroyed and ceases to be blood.
Now on to the substance of the issue.
Yes, it is indeed possible to whiten your teeth and change the color for the better, but in what direction the teeth themselves will change, I remain hopeful that it has become obvious to you from the above.
And what does it mean not too white by nature, but where in nature you have seen a bone that is too white (also say blue blood). In addition, the color of the paint is called ivory, which is understandable to everyone.
And in most cases, normally the bone has a completely defined shade (light-light beige, if it is possible to express it that way).
A living bone must have color in order to have color; it is only the boiled (dead) bone that has a white color.
It’s another matter if the color of the teeth is broken, but again, more and more often through medicine, and it is gray, pink, brown or gray-brown, then, of course, we just need to correct our mistakes.
There are many specific methods and preparations for teeth whitening, but they all boil down to one thing - introducing hydrogen peroxide into the tooth tissue and influencing it to form atomic oxygen.
It is possible to influence hydrogen peroxide in different ways - with chemical additives or energy, for example a laser - the latter is the most effective, fastest, but also the most expensive.
To whiten teeth at home, more gentle but less effective preparations are used (so that foolishly some people are not whitened until they are toothless Smile.
In clinics, under the supervision of a doctor, drugs and methods are used that are more effective, but also more aggressive in their effect specifically on the tooth bone and therefore have clear instructions for subsequent repeated procedures.
There is probably only one way to introduce preparations that contain hydrogen peroxide into the depths of the tooth; in addition, I would like to dwell on this in more detail.
The fact is that tooth enamel is transparent and does not need to be whitened, but between the transparent enamel prisms there is a thin organic matrix, through which the above-mentioned whitening can reach the tooth bone itself.
So how do you force hydrogen peroxide or oxygen itself to penetrate through the enamel to the bone? – quite simply, you need to dissolve the enamel, i.e. make the organic matrix more permeable, and this is achieved by acid etching of the tooth.
Well, since there is not enough enamel on a tooth in life, then I think there is no need to poison it with acid again.
These are my stories and advice for you.
I, for example, understand artists very well; at least if it’s not about how he sings, then the audience will chat about their teeth.
And besides, later, at a time when there are no longer enough of their own for whitening, they will invariably be helped to recreate Hollywood with prosthetics, but for the rest I recommend that you think very carefully before deciding on a color for the better.
But more often than not, it’s not us who decide, but the patients, and if there is a huge desire to pay for the whitening procedure and damage to your own teeth - please! Let's do it! Experienced cleaning of tooth enamel from persistent pigmented plaque (which is also a kind of teeth whitening) is a necessary, harmless and necessary task, especially since the natural whiteness of teeth at the end of such a procedure is usually quite sufficient for the most demanding personality.
Oleg Zybin (AKev ppilat)
they wrote absurdity. an ordinary dentist makes a design with a long service life.
composite ranks at the lowest level in terms of durability and other factors.
You put a lot of meaning into the word save, rather a term from gynecology.
In this version, the fillings were made six months ago, along with this, preserving the caries of its own eprst)))
It is clear that as a result of drilling, the tooth turned into a colander. which is a pretext for a crown.
Sorry, I didn’t understand your argument)) I am retelling the arguments of the dentist who dissuaded me, who would have had the opportunity to increase a considerable amount on my veneers, but did not do so. What is the long term? They told me that in a couple of years they will be injected (in the sense of not splitting, but injuring the gums)
Snow-white and wide, with perfectly straight teeth - this is how we see the American smile in American films and TV series. What is called a smile from ear to ear! Well, if you have had experience communicating with Americans in your life, then you are probably convinced that in real life it is just as ideal as on the screens, which is called Hollywood. The American smile has always been famous for its beauty and grace.
Why do Americans have beautiful teeth?
Such perfection of a smile is achieved with constant care. It should be noted that in America there is a special culture of dental care and it is brought up from childhood. There is nothing intricate or complex about this culture. Good daily dental hygiene - floss, a suitable toothbrush and toothpaste, medicated or bacteria-fighting mouthwash, and variations of these minimums. By maintaining good oral hygiene, we are one step closer to that coveted Hollywood smile!
Regular visits to the dentist are of great importance in maintaining good dental health for Americans. Yes, that’s right - regular, and not when it “presses” so hard that you agree to any dental torture just to relieve the excruciating pain. Sound familiar? :) After all, we all know how important it is to visit the dentist at least once every six months, and that it is necessary to periodically clean our teeth from plaque, tartar, and how important it is to monitor the condition of our gums. We know, but unfortunately, most of us go to the dentist only in extreme cases. And for Americans, regular visits to the dentist are an obligatory part of the culture of maintaining beautiful and healthy teeth.
In the USA, visiting the dentist is observed quite strictly. Having visited your doctor, the next visit can be scheduled immediately on the day of your appointment, which will take place only in half a year! And so that you don’t forget about the visit, you will definitely receive a reminder call not long before it. In America they don’t wait until the last moment; they go to the dentist regularly.
As already noted, dental care begins in early childhood, and directly with daily hygiene, as well as visits to the dental office. Most, if not all, children go through the long process of wearing braces to correct misaligned teeth and establish a proper bite. Wearing braces in the USA is a natural process. The kids all the time walk around with glands on their teeth. And to make the process more fun and interesting, the braces and all the necessary accessories are offered in a variety of colors, so many people approach this process creatively and create their own individual image.
How is the whiteness of a Hollywood smile achieved?
And here again, it’s no secret to anyone that teeth whitening is widespread in America. There are various teeth whitening technologies. Professional high-quality whitening is carried out directly in the dental office and will cost several hundred dollars. But besides professional technologies, there are so-called home technologies, which are available for almost any wallet. Home remedies include toothpastes, rinses with a whitening effect, adhesive strips and mouth guards, which, when used for 10-15 minutes, make teeth whiter in 3-4 days.
The whitening procedure, both at home and professionally, may not be very pleasant. Teeth whitening greatly affects tooth sensitivity and can cause severe toothache.
What is hidden behind the American smile?
I don’t want to disappoint anyone, but in most cases the American smile is fake and insincere. Yes, it is part of American culture to be friendly and smile always and to everyone, and even if you are sad or sad. On the one hand, it is a definite plus to see joyful and happy people around. But are they as happy as they are in their hearts? But what about sincerity?
Have you seen how Americans take pictures? The process is quite interesting, and sometimes even funny. I’m writing these lines, and in front of my eyes are Americans posing in front of the camera, which makes a smile appear on my face no less wide than the American one! Yes, I am smiling now, perhaps as widely as the Americans themselves. Do you want to smile with me? So, when Americans stand in front of the camera, and the camera aims at them, their faces blur into that same wide-toothed and snow-white Hollywood smile. But as soon as the lens closed, a split second later, the smile disappeared from their faces! Instantly! The face returns to that state - fatigue, sadness, sadness, or simply to a neutral state. The fact that this is a cultural feature is evidenced by the fact that this fake “second” smile is reflected on the faces of even the smallest children.
Thank you for your support!