Why Are British Teeth So Yellow?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ต.ค. 2024
- Teef? Teef!
My old Welsh teeth aren't perfect. They aren't gleaming white gnashers like you see in Hollywood movies. I have gaps and chips and attrition and some age related discolouration and thinning enamel. I get frequent comments asking why?
Why don't I bleach my teeth?
Why don't I have dental veneers?
Are my teeth unhealthy?
Do I even brush my teeth (yes, and floss, and interdental brushing!)?
But although the idea that we should have whiter, straighter, perfecter teeth is a very old one, the technology to allow us to whiten and straighten our teeth effectively is very, very new and is surprisingly easy to link to film stars and celebrity culture. Dental veneers and bleach whitening strips were only invented in the 20th century, and many modern people have way better teeth than many people in the past, despite the popular myth that Medieval European or Roman or Egyptian people had "perfect" teeth because they ate less sugar in their diet. Archaeology says different!
So join me on a journey to explain why my teeth are so yellow, but, more importantly, why I don't care! Why Brits actually have better teeth on average than Americans. And why I won't be changing mine any time soon!
Kinda makes you want to floss, doesn't it? ;)
Bit of reading to get your teeth into:
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Full disclosure: I really appreciate and am grateful for the positive words about my chompers since this went up, but please don’t be cross! I wasn’t pressured into making this by horrid comments (which I have had and still get).
I was just so intrigued by the misconception behind them that I thought “why don’t we do a little video about it?” After all, it’s an historical misconception, and defeating those is what we’re all about here!
But again: thanks for all the lovely tooth-related words! You all have lovely smiles ❤
You really didn't come off (to me) as defending yourself at all. Felt like a friendly and "hey isn't this neat" kind of attitude.
Superb and adorable Jimmy-style exploration of the topic ❤️
Particularly enjoyed the illustrative face-pulling and ice-cream eating.
Fellow (TEA-DRINKING) Brit here, with a couple more decades on the clock than you - and teeth that reflect that mileage. Healthy, functional, and serviceable (hopefully) for many years to come. Not whitened or otherwise cosmetically enhanced. It is what it is. And it does not prevent me in any way from being the goddess that I am.
Rude and ignorant Americans* (presumably...?) should be ashamed of themselves.
*Not All Americans
In Australia, dentists can tell which states you grew up in, because of different policies regarding fluoride in the drinking water. Like you, Jimmy, I don't mind my yellowish teeth, because I'm safe in the knowledge that, if I look after them, they won't give me any trouble.
Your teeth are not fine. I'm sorry. You needed to have got your wisdom teeth out years ago. fixed that baby tooth. NHS is faking and not working. It would help if you whiten your teeth.
@@Sadude13why did you type that garbage as a reply to him saying he gets nasty comments? Was it to provide proof?
I cannot believe people have been so rude that you had to make this video. Your teeth have never bothered me while listening to you talk about history and archaeology.
My first thought exactly, when I read the title😖🤦
yeah I've noticed him needing to defend his teeth for a while now and I hate people for bullying him about it
@@amberadams9310 I have noticed an uptick of appearance and language bullies in TH-cam lately. It's really none of their business. If they don't like what they see and hear they can just leave the channel.
@@amberadams9310 guaranteed they're nothing to look at!! 😂
I never even noticed his teeth!
colour of teeth is largely irrelevant. The question is, do they function as teeth?
They gnash like nobody’s business!
Thank you for pointing out the color of normal teeth! People are spending so much time looking at overworked and photoshopped images that they’re forgetting what normal looks like. This applies to body shape, as well as tooth color.
This obsession is also damaging their healthy teeth as whiteners damage enamel over time from constant use leading to more teeth issues in the future.
Here in Atlanta there is a trend of people taking a one or two day class and opening up their own "dental veneer tech studio". Which is as awful as it sounds considering there's no dentist on staff It could just be some dude in a barber shop back room. I'm hearing reports that they are putting veneers on teeth with cavities and without cleaning them first and there's going to be a huge epidemic of people with problematic dental work soon.
@@apcolleen oh god oh god oh godnonononono I work for a dentist and sometimes we see that and when they get to us its always bad.
@@apcolleen That sounds sooo illegal. MLM levels of illegal.
@@apcolleenThat is just sad.
Drives me insane that people have the balls to be so rude.
Jimmy doing archaeology on his own teeth. The things he does for us. ❤
Another factor in teeth is how well your mother was fed before and during her pregnancy of you. The Dutch of my generation, and probably other European countries, have bad teeth because our mothers were teenagers during the war and had kids right afterwards. Without good nutrition of the mother, like they survived starvation, the teeth of the fetus don't have the nutrients to grow healthy strong teeth.
Another thing which affects the colour of teeth is if you have heavy doses of antibiotics as an infant or young child. It can discolour the adult teeth waiting to grow out. However discoloured teeth is better then being dead.
Also, if a child was overdosed with iron that can discolor the permenant teeth. That was a thing in the USA at least during the 1960s; some vitamins made for children had too much iron in them resulting in discolored teeth.
Huh. Maybe that's why mine are so yellowish despite being healthy and caveity free. I got strep throat 11 times in Kindergarten alone, so I was on antibiotics a LOT as a young child...
@@Amy_the_Lizard my baby sister got pleurisy and meningitis at one and was on all sorts of meds for months and when her adult teeth came in that is what the dentist told my mother.
My parents both grew up during rationing so I wouldn't be surprised if my mom didn't eat enough when pregnant. I had a brown spot on one of my front teeth as a child. As an adult my teeth aren't great, especially since I haven't looked after them and used to open bottles with them and get punched a lot as a drunk young fool.
@@lenabreijer1311 I definitely wasn't as sick as her, but I wouldn't be surprised if they used some of the more hard-core meds on me anyway since they eventually rotated through pretty much all the meds that are safe to give kids to try to reduce the risk of drug resistance since I was getting sick so frequently
People that complain about you not whitening your teath are very strange.
They've got to be mostly American. They seem to have an odd fascination with appearing fake then complaining when others don't!
@@31Blaize Can confirm it's Americans pulling this nonsense. They only thing that is surprising me is that they are bullying a man about it, when all the other times I've come across them it was women being bullied.
@@31Blaize True. They are slaves to advertisung.
I am so sorry you had to address this! As an American, I can assure you our heathcare and dental system is a scam. Employers cared about their employees in the 1960's and 1970's. Good benefits kept good employees. And yes, free orthodontic meant your kid got braces whether needed or not. I needed braces but should have waited longer. As a result, braces were pushed in well below the gum line. So yes, I have horrible gums, way too wide spacing, tmj issues, and look like I need braces in my 60's. So, don't fix what isn't broken!
you know who has really good dental insurance? Guitar Center. not a word of a lie, one of our patients works for Guitar Center, the annual maximum is at least $3000 and a deductible of $25/person.
I was a child that had braces when I didn't need them (or at least I had them earlier than any problems started to arise from my teeth) that lead to me needing thousands of dollars of corrective dental work now that I'm an adult. I got braces because my parents were worried I'd be made fun of for my one crooked turned tooth when the other children only started to pay attention to my teeth because of the braces
They did so much orthodontic work on my teeth that I was periodontal at 37, despite only have three tiny cavities. All that orthodontia (and tooth removal--I don't have my upper pre-molars), resulted in a lot of bone loss and subsequent gum recession. They neglected to tell my parents that when I was a kid, of course.
I don't care about having pretty teeth. I want healthy teeth that do their job!
Thank you! I promise I didn’t feel I had to defend myself, it was mostly being intrigued by the idea driving the comments , but I truly do appreciate the support :)
I'm annoyed when people waste time commenting on presenters appearance rather than the information. PS I think you're a handsome fellow.
I had a conversation with my dental hygienest a couple years ago about whitening my teeth, and she just kind of mentioned the tooth pain and tooth sensitivity that can come because most if not all whitening procedures work by opening the protective enamel of teeth to make them white, and I was like y’know what I’m good. I also like my tea and coffee (and eating cold things and warm things without weird shooting pains), and I am an adult and having not pristinely white teeth is and should be normal! To each their own of course, but teeth whitening is not for me
I also seem to remember you mentioning your teeth in a previous video, Jimmy (god people are weird that this is such a recurring topic), and your attitude towards it likely helped me be comfortable with my teeth being teeth colored, so thank you for that!
I love that your hygienist was that honest with you. I feel like every time I go to a dentist nowadays, they're trying to sell me on some big, expensive cosmetic procedure by assuring me that I desperately need it.
I always enjoyed British & Euopean tv shows & movies because the people in them looked like real people not models who had lots of work done. Even when someone was attractive, it was an attainable & relatable attractiveness like someone you might work with or go to school with or live down the block from you. I've noticed this is starting to change & I'm starting to see more of the Hollywood beauty standard of very perfect white teeth, buff bodies, tans, etc. Idk, I prefer people looking like people or even being attractive in a quirky or unconventional way instead of a manufactured way. If your teeth are the least bit sensitive, do not whiten them. It makes them very sensitive.
Teeth are bones. Bones are not white unless they've been bleached. Bleached bone is neither strong nor healthy. Any more questions?
Pedantically speaking, they're NOT bones. Bones are made up of collagen and calcium phosphate, and are living tissue that will regrow if you damage them. Teeth are made up of dentin and enamel and do not regenerate. They are they're their own thing.
You're such a treasure! It's ridiculous that people are so rude, but you've taken their rudeness and made it into an awesome historical educational experience!! 🙏
Weird dental thing... I had 6 wisdom teeth! Got the "normal" 4 removed, and then 3 years later had a dental X-ray and the dentist told me there were 2 more of the little bastards hiding in my jaw.... Apparently I'm a magical tooth unicorn! 🦄
I had a wisdom tooth pulled in my late 20's. Luckily, it was a dental surgeon who pulled it. I thought she was going to pull my jaw off ! (She did numb me with Novacaine. I take a lot of novacaine to get numb, and she actually listened!)
Anyhow, I had a bite block, and this petite woman hauled away. We both heard ( & I felt) a slight "Snap!" Turns out I had 3 dang roots wrapped around my jaw bone! I was luckily the jaw didn't break ! She had taken xrays. It was just impossible to see all 3 roots !
Hey! Me too! I had two little rootless ones on top of my uppers. Also, one of the lower ones was XXL.
I never had wisdom teeth, it’s a genetic thing that runs in my family! Possibly related to having a small jaw? Not sure about that, I didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth by investigating the reason too closely.
@@elisabethmontegna5412 usually, they remove wisdom teeth because there isn't enough room. or because the tooth decided to headbutt the molar next to it. we're just in the process of evolving to not have them. I have one that never would've been spotted without a panoramic xray, and it's just up there, not impacting anything.
@@mhfromnh1421 I’ve been told that the smaller jaw is associated with a less open airway while sleeping (something about not enough room for the tongue to lay flat?) so it’s not without its problems. I’m not sure if I wouldn’t prefer having a bigger jaw + wisdom teeth tbh.
Jimmy! How did you make teeth so interesting?!? More weird osteoarcheology, please! (I also will not trade my tea for teeth whiteness! Standards.
I've always had yellow-tinted teeth, since my adult dentition came in; this has gotten more noticeable with decades of drinking coffee, but my teeth were never as white as all my (all older) siblings are. And boy, was that a thing that was pointed out to me ALWAYS, by everyone, everywhere.
I have definitely yellowy cream, not pearly white teeth. Even in my teens schoolmates would ask why or tell me I should brush them more. I recall a couple of decades ago (in the 90s?) reading a magazine article about teeth and the growing pressure to have whiter teeth.
Anyway, I learnt that the more naturally yellow - not stained - our teeth are the stronger they are. So when your siblings move into their later years with replacement teeth, know that you'll still have all of your own because you took proper care of them. Also, slightly orange tinted lipstick can give the appearance of whiter teeth, so if it suits your skin tone go for coral pink over rose pink (same article).
That's hideously rude of people. Were their parents not kind enough to them to teach them, if it's not something someone can fix in a minute, don't mention it (e.g. spinach between teeth is okay to mention, the colour of your teeth isn't)?
I love how you explained this from archeological perspective. I have completely normal (yellow), straight teeth, but i also have adhd and really struggle to brush my teeth every day, so i would probably shrivel up if someone commented on it irl. Thanks for the great video.
To be fair, even though I brush my teeth scrupulously my teeth are naturally yellow. 🤷♂️ Whereas a friend of mine smokes, rarely brushes, and has white teeth. Mine are healthier but hers look "better" lol. I don't think it's possible to tell dental hygiene from tooth colour
As you were saying towards the end of your video, people did have there teeth removed when they were young to avoid dentists bills later. My Granny told me that when she was planning to marry my Grandad, her father saved up to give her the "present " of having her teeth removed and some well made dentures made.He wanted her to have this done so that she would look nice in the wedding photos and her husband wouldn't have the expense of dental bills while he was making his way in the grocery business. Seems very strange now, but at the time she thought it was a really thoughtful present.
Both my grandparents got this gift when they were in their early twenties. Neither had had their own teeth since 23. My dad (pre fluoride) wishes he had someone do this for him.
My grandma had all her teeth removed at 18, too. Apparently, part of their reasoning was to make them straight. She'd had crooked teeth, so they just removed them all and replaced them with dentures!
There was also a time when the poor were paid to have their perfectly fine teeth removed, so that their teeth could go to the upper classes to make *them* nice dentures.
Robert Roberts in The Classic Slum, about Salford in the 1900-1925 period, mentions that this was a very popular wedding gift especially for the bride. She would be at the bottom of the pecking order for household expenses, after the children started coming, so there would be no cash at all for dental care.
But dentures can be so uncomfortable and there's things you can't eat with them. My mom in her 70s recently had her teeth removed and had dentures made and she's really struggled with them. Also dentures now are so so so expensive. Many thousands
@@evalevy2909 My mom also has dentures and struggled with them when they were new. Please encourage your mom to go back to get them adjusted as many times as it takes. My mom's were so uncomfortable when she got them. It took several visits for adjustments, but eventually they made them fit her mouth and now she sometimes forgets that she's wearing them and goes to bed with them. Uncomfortable dentures are just not finished yet! (And, at least for my mom, the adjustments were all included in the price of the dentures.)
Did anyone else go brush their teeth after watching this? 😂
As an American I think the NHS is awesome and I hope the new government will restore it to what it once was. I wish that the US had invested in public goods after the war instead of investing in highways, demolishing racially diverse neighborhoods, building prisons, and so on.
I neglected my teeth for quite a while but I looked into a good dental office when I moved and I don't think I could have stomach watching this video 3 years ago when I was more worried about my own teeth. I grew up very poor so my enamel is missing in some spots but they didn't get cavities in them weirdly
The Tories and right wingers in general are quite keen to get rid of the NHS and have something more like in America, even though SENSIBLE Americans (ie Democrats) will always say their system is terrible and we need to protect the NHS. I have ALWAYS heard that from American friends.
Unfortunately, the UK due to dentist not having to operate their business under the NHS anymore, leading many to go totally private. This has led to an increase in children presenting with complex health needs. Technically, children are covered but getting an appointment within a local area is not getting easier. Hopefully a new government will start to address the situation.
@avs4365 US insurance companies already separate general health coverage from eye and dental care. Like, aren't those parts also a part of my body?
@@ilanarhian the owners of american healthcare are quite keen to get rid of the nhs and drain that untapped market
In Spain, where I am from, it's becoming more and more common to have the Hollywood smile (I kind of have it myself because I had braces in my teens) but I don't find it something that makes someone more attractive. Your brains, your personality are sexy, and the teeth don't make anyone ugly, certainly not yours. If everyone has the same smile it's like they had the same personality and that is boring. Anyway, you don't need me to say this, but don't listen to anyone, your smile is so cute and and far from ugly. ❤
An American, here. My teeth have never been white. Even as a kid, they were more a warm ivory than white. I have struggled with that as a part of my issues with my appearance as I grew up and in adulthood. As a 16 year old, I begged my parents to "correct" the gap between my teeth (filing and veneer) and my long incisors (filed down). I wish I had never done that. Eventually, due to bruxism, my veneers fell off and in my 50s I have my gap back. I'll never be able to afford a Hollywood Smile and I care less and less about that. Sorry that rude people made this video something you felt you needed to make, but also thank you. Normalize normal adult teeth!
Jimmy, you have naturally gorgeous, voluptious ivory gnashers. Don't change a thing.
I'd like to apologize on behalf of my often socially idiotic country. As a 50 y/o American female I often get shit for my less-than-dazzling smile even though my dentist told me my teeth are in great shape -- a woman whose company I enjoy almost as much as a room full of spiders.😬White teeth can be nice but most overdo it and really blind you. Looking at people with a reflective grille always reminds me of that asshole who won't turn off their high beams.
I often wonder about what an anthropologist or medical examiner would think of my body -- probably to an unhealthy degree. I wonder what they'd be able to tell about my life while examining my bones, or if they'd judge me by the contents of my stomach, or if they could tell my age by the amount of melted fat left over after spontaneous combustion. Glad to see I'm not the only person with this kind of weird internal discourse.
Just keep being you, my dear. There are nearly 85K people online that absolutely adore you, exactly as you are.
Where's the trigger warning before you scoffed ice-cream!? My teeth won't take that and it's all I've been thinking about while I've sweltered today. Thanks Jimmy :)
I like crunching ice cubes. Sorry!
There are really helpful toothpastes for sensitive teeth.
@@nikkia9506 Yeah, me too. My exposed nerves I can't get fixed coz, well, Tories, kinda hate me if I do that these days 👝
I had sympathy pains 😂
@@nikkia9506 I feel like ice cubes are different than ice cream though. I like eating ice cubes but this had me like 😮biting ice cream.
Another wild part of American dentistry & orthodontics is how it plays into class as an industry. Because dental insurance is always completely separate from health insurance, many jobs that have to offer healthcare just don't offer dental coverage. You need a really well-paid (usually salaried, not hourly) typically full-time job to get dental insurance--and basic dental plans don't always cover orthodontics. Which means whiteness & straightness of your is a huge indicator of class here.
As in, getting your braces was seen as a sign of maturity in my middle school. And definitely correlated to who had the money to have "pretty" teeth.
I grew up in a lower-middle class family in a more upper-middle class neighborhood. So we had dental coverage, but getting an orthodontist was really expensive. Around age 12, my dentist made a cosmetic recommendation phrased as a medical concern and so we tried to find an orthodontist. They all told me that I had a condition (that has literally never bothered me) that meant I would have to have surgery to pull my *entire upper jaw* forward. Again, this was phrased as being a medical issue but I later found out was primary cosmetic. My parents thankfully didn't want to do that to a 12-year-old so we found an orthodontist who was willing to make an appliance that would do the same thing non-surgically.
I truly don't know how many thousands of dollars my parents spent on orthodontics for me because we were pressured socially, and now 15 years later, it's all reverted back to how it was before. But there was this implication that if they didn't pay all this money for ultimately cosmetic treatment they were bad parents who were dooming their daughter to a life of being ugly. (This was actually said within my earshot by several prospective orthodontists--that they would be robbing me of my chance of being an attractive adult if I didn't have this procedure done.)
So yeah. The peer pressure around having "pretty" teeth is a huge indicator of class and wealth here. And all of it was decided by manipulative professionals who said "yeah she hates it now but she'll be grateful later so it doesn't matter how much pain she's in". Also, it's important to note that dentists and orthodontists make a *lot* of money here. Enough to put them in upper-middle class at least. It's an industry that preys on people's anxiety about beauty.
And if you medically need a dentist, well you might just be out of luck. I can't afford dental insurance, so I just hope nothing bad happens cause they can't help me at a normal hospital. And I ended up using my jewelry pliers when my permanent retainer broke to get it out of my mouth because I couldn't afford to see a professional.
Yup. Easily believable - from another American
The American obssesion with white teeth is disturbing tbh. I've had more work done to my teeth than most people, at least in the UK. I had braces for 3 years bc I am missing my upper lateral incisors (the gap between my central incisors was so large in early teenhood I could slot a £ coin in the gap!).
Our teeth are meant to be functional, procedures that do not aid functionality are not necessary lol.
Fantastic video and good reminder that paper-white smiles aren't required or default...I have an awful phobia of teeth, so I hate it. 😅
NHS dental care is a fantastic thing but there is a shortage of NHS dentists and 111 can seriously struggle to refer people to an accessible emergency NHS dentist if you are not already registered. In my local area getting an NHS dentist involves stalking the list of NHS surgeries accepting patients every Monday and calling each of them before 10am and one of the NHS dentists used the covid shutdowns to delist a load of NHS patients.
Coverage is a problem for Americans too. My family is on Medicaid which is government Healthcare for low income families. My daughter needs a root canal and after 4 months of searching we could only find one clinic that would do back teeth root canals on her Medicaid plan and he regular dentist says they often do a bad job. We don't have a choice though there's no place else to go.
Fellow adult milk tooth haver here! Just like my mother, I don’t have an adult lateral incisive and the adult canine took its spot so the baby tooth remained. My mum lost her when she was 38, I still have mine at 41! It’s my precious!
Fellow milk tooth retainer here (early 40s)! Adult canine never came through; an x-ray showed it's embedded somewhere in the roof of my mouth, never to emerge. Also discovered an adult molar never came through and I still have the equivalent milk tooth
1. Because Europeans don't as commonly file away their real teeth and replace them with fake teeth.
2. Northern Europeans are so pale that their teeth look yellow compared to their faces.
3. Real teeth aren't paper white / blue white. A slight yellow/warm tint is the normal colour of teeth.
4. Brits aren't as obsessed with stereotypical beauty and appreciate individual beauty and "realness" more than americans. Also slightly crooked teeth can be cute! Special features give people character.
5. Tea is nice. And coffee too.
All of exactly this!
Especially the "tea is nice" bit.
@@thing_under_the_stairs In concur; tea is nice.
❤️
Tea is SO nice. Good tea at a good moment is one of best things in life.
As someone with adhd I find tea extremely good for my brain and body. Refreshing yet calming.
💯 agreed, and I'm Italian. I also find blueish teeth mildly unsettling.
@@Pippis78 I've got ADHD too, and tea really does help me function. I mean, diet cola could too, but tea is so much better in every way.
...his teeth aren't even yellow, wtf. i've seen yellow teeth, and this isn't it.
Yeah, chain smoker yellow is real yellow.
American viewers aren’t used to seeing natural teeth colour so it looks ‘yellow’ to them
Maybe some Americans? I don't think the majority of us would notice or care. I think I know... One person in real life who bleaches her teeth?
As someone who is missing adult teeth it is genetic (my grandmother and son also had missing adult teeth) and you usually have other anomalies. I’m missing two ribs, a vertebrae in my neck and have cervical ribs
Whoa, cool! There's such diversity in bodies. I hope that doesn't cause you any pain!
@@caspenbee the cervical ribs are large and occasionally I have problems with loss of feeling in my arms. By the time anyone worked out the problem I was in my late 30s and had worked out how to avoid it. Nothing else causes issues
@@norskattforfun8575 I'm glad it's not a big issue; thanks for sharing!
My grandma had all her teeth pulled out before she got married so she could have a lovely set of false teeth. A not uncommon gift for young women pre NHS dentists.
Yes, I did post before watching the whole video!
Also a thing in the Netherlands in the early 20th century, apparently! A nice wedding gift so her husband wouldn't have to pay for a set of dentures. Absolutely bizarre to me now.
Thank you for the history!
🎶"Outside bones, outside bones
Never forget that teeth are outside bones"🎶
Never without tea!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I've been on the receiving end of rude "clean your teeth" comments even though I'm an Aussie (your NHS dentistry is MUCH envied from Oz!).
My grandfather was born around 1920, and he always took for granted that everyone loses their teeth as they age and has to get dentures, because it was so common in the generations older than him. But he had good teeth to start with, and had regular competent dental care as an adult, and brushed his teeth regularly. When he was in his 70s he asked his dentist how much longer he could expect to keep his teeth, and was shocked when the dentist asked him how much longer he could expect to live, i.e. that he would probably never need dentures. It's amazing what a difference regular basic dental care makes.
We normalised obesity, diabetes and teeth falling out because of the number of people who can't be bothered to take care of themselves.
As someone who finds blingly white teeth very distracting when people are talking, I’ve never minded your teeth at all. You look like fine as is. And I seriously envy your dental health! Loads of childhood antibiotics and radium therapy mean my teeth are chalky, heavily filled and now falling apart. And I’ve had a good 20 years more tea drinking than you, so they’re yellow, too. Still, I’m lucky to have access to a *good* dentist! Painless dentistry is a blessing denied to most throughout history!
I still have one of my baby teeth as well. My hygienist said as long as it's not bothering me, it's all good.
Why some people have to go on about someone's physical attributes is beyond me. Excellent video as usual, Jimmy! I love that you used those comments as a teachable moment. Now, let's have a fresh cup of tea. 😁
Jimmy, you are magnificent! Finally someone who tells it how it is! Those fake white teeth have been bothering me for ages, it's so unnatural. Thank you!
I don't know. I think you look great. You have a wonderful smile.
I'm a middle aged American woman with the normal color of teeth for someone my age who drinks lots of coffee but since everyone around me has cosmetic whitening and veneers ect it makes me self conscious. I first noticed how extreme and unrealistic white teeth were getting seeing Ann Hathaway with flawlessly white teeth in les mis. It was in such contrast to the rest of her appearance and for the time and place and situation of her character.
Only want to note that we in the dental profession do not advise using bicarb (not toothpaste) as a tooth cleaning agent is that it is too abrasive and removes enamel which will mean your teeth may become yellower and more sensitive in the long run (enamel is translucent and as it thins you can begin to see the colour of the yellower internal layer of dentine showing through and this being exposed can result in sensitivity as dentine has tiny tubes called tubules running into the nerve of the tooth which can start to conduct cold and heat causing pain.)
My daughter had a milk tooth that did eventually have to be pulled. She had a greataunt who was born with nothing but milk teeth. The greataunt brushed her teeth three times a day and kept her teeth until she was over sixty.
American dentistry sucks. You need a SECOND insurance that is just as expensive as the insurance that covers THE REST OF YOUR BODY. And the cosmetic standard means dentists often recommend whitening procedures or years of painful expensive braces when your teeth are causing you no problems. They also recommend wisdom tooth removal for everyone as a standard, which itself is a painful expensive surgery with many potential complications. Everyone needs to chill. Unique teef are cute! Jimmy, your smile is fantastic. (And the baby tooth is COOL)!
I was always alarmed by how many of my American friends seemed to have had wisdom tooth removal. and how much of that removal was carried out as minor surgery with heavy sedation and anaesthetic. Like, why are they doing that? who voluntarily does that?
European (at least German) health insurance isn't very generous either when it comes to teeth work. Only the check ups are covered. Everything else isn't covered or only a fraction.
@@RobinT346 almost everyone I know! It's nuts! Good to know it's not that way everywhere.
My teeth are awful and one of my deepest regrets in life is how astoundingly difficult it has been for me to keep them clean and healthy. That's all I want, clean, healthy teeth. I WISH my teeth were as good as yours, but I am one of those USAmericans that have had no dental insurance for most of my adult life and did not luck out in the genetics department(while also being fond of sweets).
Another maddening thing is how hard I have to look for toothpaste that DOESN'T want to whiten your teeth. It's just taken as fact here that everyone wants and should have white teeth or else they're not /really/ clean and healthy and as you said, that isn't the case.
Well when I met you at ARM you had a dazzling smile! Thanks for the pics!
Fun fact - you can brush your teeth too much! Or rather, too hard. I, too, didn't go to the dentist for 10 years, but my 10 year span followed years of dental work that had established near-obsessive dental hygiene habits. So the only issue they found was I had abraded away some of the gums brushing too hard. So I cannot do that ice cream trick and it made me twitch a little just to watch! Since my teeth are already sensitive like that I have shied away from whitening and sometimes feel self-conscious of the yellow. Now I shall embrace it as abundant proof of just how much I love tea!
I'm 55 from upstate NY. 7 years ago I had some molar issues, with flare ups, swelling and pain, but nothing was considered an emergency. A walk-in health care doctor gave me antibiotics to stop the infections. In my area, children can get a dentist any time they need one, as it should be. As I am disabled and rely on Medicaid to pay my health bills, I waited years to see a dentist who would accept Medicaid as payment. In fact, I waited so long, four teeth fell out. Now my problem is solved. Thank you, Medicaid. In fairness, had my case been deemed an "emergency," I would have been seen. When you bit the ice cream I had to look away with a cringey-face. I can't imagine being able to do that with the state of my teeth today. Love you, Jimmy. Many hugs, friend.
Daughter of a dentist. Yup. I have discolored teeth from fluoride "poisoning" when I was a kid. My father was not a believer in tooth whitening, though he did it on request. I got judged as a kid for having stained teeth, and I have gotten questions about it as an adult. 🙄 it's good to be curious, it's rude to point.
Never entered my thoughts Jimmy
Sheeeeesh ... kids today. 🙄
We are meant to be who we are and live where we are. Each of us sees the world in a different way. NEVER think you are not enough as you are. We need to begin each day remembering we are enough. I was intrigued by your font of knowledge on Scandinavian and Scottish archeology being a decendant of the same just mentioned.. I appreciate your level headedness, lack of fear on telling the truth and immense knowledge of a people who, like all of us lived their lives one day at a time doing the best they could. Cudos to you Jimmy.
You have a lovely smile Jimmy! I’m an American who has a crooked lateral incisor. It never really bothered me, so I never got braces. In my 20s, I had a dentist tell me that she’d be happy to provide me with orthodontic services without any prompting from me whatsoever. I quipped that I was quite happy with my smile the way that it was.
My teeth are on the whiter side for someone of my age, but that's only because I don't drink tea or coffee on a regular basis, and I don't smoke. I don't avoid tea and coffee because I want whiter teeth, I just don't enjoy tea or coffee that much. I'm also an outlier because I have a higher than average number of teeth: 32. I still have all my wisdom teeth, even though I'm past the half-century mark. I've had dentists try to talk me into having them removed "as a precaution" when I was in my twenties and thirties, but I subscribe to the "it if isn't broken, don't fix it" philosophy when it comes to teeth. I basically go in to have them cleaned every six months or so, I floss daily, and I leave them alone as much as possible. I figured that if my wisdom teeth ever became a problem, I would deal with it, but they haven't ever given me any issues. My dentist still tries to upsell me on various cosmetic procedures and "precautionary" stuff, but I always refuse. I realize that in the for-profit system we have in the USA, this upsell tactic is just good business for dentists. But I care more about the health of my teeth than I am about making my dentist rich. Again, if something becomes an issue, I'll deal with it when it happens. You're so lucky you have the NHS, imperfect as it is.
You've made it along way with all those teeth, congratulations!
I just had to have the first of my wisdom teeth pulled at age 46; when it came out I could see why my dentist insisted on it. It had a massive cavity in a place where no drill could reach, and so it had to go. Interestingly, the hole it left has never healed fully shut, it's just healed as a small hole behind my molar where that tooth once was. It doesn't give me any problems, and when I next see my dentist I'll find out whether it might in the future. But for now, I kind of like it!
Pleased to hear of someone else forgoing the wisdom tooth upsell, and not having any problems later! I've done the same, and every dentist tries to make me feel crazy, but I know I'll want them if any of my molars start to go. I wish you perfect tooth health always. :)
@@caspenbee Perfect tooth health to you as well!
I'd seen so many friends and family members go through absolute hell with their wisdom teeth that I absolutely refused to get mine out unless it became absolutely necessary. It took 46 years for it to become necessary for one to come out, and because it was already fully emerged, and not impacted, it only took freezing and 20 minutes with my dentist, with antibiotics and painkillers for a while afterward. She says that apart from that one issue, my teeth are strong, straight, and beautiful, and I've never had anything done with them, just regular brushing. I don't care that they're a bit yellowish; tea is worth it, and Hollywood teeth scare me.
Your teeth are just fine, normal and nice! Great conversation about what people will do to get white teeth, thanks Jimmy✌🏼🥰
The only time it came up at my dentist's, he said: it's genetics. Some people are more prone to things happening to their teeth, and how yellow your teeth are is also in your genes. But like you said, yellow is the natural colour of teeth. As a teen, had some orthodontic work done, but mostly cause I had a supreme overbite and similar issues. Also still have all my wisdom teeth, as my dentist said, "Why remove them if they're not in the way?" I'll be 40 next year, and my gnashers are perfectly functional, never had a cavity. Modern dentistrty is great!
O, geez, the costs you list are SO much lower than what I have to pay without workplace insurance.
I have had several bad run-ins with dental care in the US over the course of my life, so now when I go for my annual dental cleaning, I refuse the polish. It isn’t medical, just cosmetic, and gives me far too harsh a reminder of those bad years. So my teeth look like yours💚 I raise my coffee to your tea(th)😜
Love how you addressed this through archaeology and history! My dentist is always pushing straightening my teeth. The only reason I am considering it is because it might make cleaning easier and reduce risk of caries but in reality it's too expensive for me as it's considered a cosmetic treatment rather than a preventative treatment
I have lots of gaps because of milk teeth without adult replacements too. My sister and nieces had over crowding because of too many adult teeth. I think this is unfair as they clearly have my share. If you were to change your mind about a bridge I can highly recommend looking into investigating if your local dental hospital has a scheme where dental students could create that for you. It's usually free, it's supervised by top notch dental surgeons and you would be helping to train the next generation of dentists. Sadly my gaps are too wide for a bridge but the are going to give me the best dentures the NHS can provide and none of it will be ridiculously snowy white.
Jimmy!! Watching you to that ice cream just made me wince.😅
yeah the american obsession with teeth.... I'm swedish so I also have access to free dental work (until you are 25 yrs old, you see a dentist for free regularly). As I am now 35 I have paid both privately to have my teeth checked up, and I've gone back into the public system and I pay about 9 USD a month to get my teeth ex-rayed and cleaned like once every third year. If you have more issues then you go more often and pay more monthly.... this is how I discovered that I have really good teeth. I have some slight discoloration (white brittle pieces) in the molars in the back of my teeth, and I have a slight overbite. (I always wanted it corrected and was jealous of Americans that would get bracers for basically anything.) But I've never had any holes in my teeth, never any pain, I've never broken or chipped a tooth and I do not get calculus since I started using an electric toothbrush. And nowadays, the slight overbite makes me look younger, so its a good thing right now actually (I'm 35 but most people think I'm like 25.... luckyyyyy buckteeth XD). Like you said, don't fix what's not actually broken.
I have many friends with dental issues - one lost teeth (they fell out) when she got pregnant... something hormonal. Another got a lot of holes in them and had a lot of teeth pulled out. The same with some friends from Sibiria/russia - but apparently a lot of people from his village had issues with their teeth. He has lost a lot of teeth and have veneers now but, you would never know that he did, they look really natural (I think they copied his old teeth.) These things, if you are not part of a program, they cost A LOT OF MONEY in my country. Like if you are older than 25, its rough! A lot of people can't afford it. You can easily pay 5000USD to fix some holes - especially if the holes were fixed some decade ago using gold.
And a lot of younger people do not sign up for the program where you pay 9 USD a month to get access - without that program things become expensive. But they feel like they don't need it yet etc. etc. However when their teeth eventually deteriorate because of this - and they find out too late because they stopped going on checkups - they have to pay to have their issues fixed before they can get into the program.
If you break tour teeth in an accident then usually its your home-insurance that covers that, funnily enough. That's good because most people (everyone except young people usually XD) have that insurance and its not expensive usually (Like 15 USD/month for a normal apartment... houses can be more expensive but still in that category.)
Its a mix of money, environmental stuff and good habits (what you eat and how you care for your teeth I suppose.)
I think perhaps, since I do not like soda or sweet drinks in general - I only drink black coffee or water basically - it probably saved my teeth from damage... I'm thinking that the sodas are not very good for american teeth.
In general, people need to take dental health seriously! If you get issues with your teeth or have poor dental hygiene - it can even harm your organs! That's the important thing to think of, not how white or how straight the teeth are!.
But why is your hair so brown?
🤣🤣🤣
I love my tea, I love your channel Jimmy, and I love how confidently you can talk about this! What I don’t love is how unbelievably rude people are to bring it up in the first place. I have honestly never once even looked at your teeth; the words coming out of them are far, far more interesting to me!
Super entertained by all the funny faces pulled throughout this video.
This was a fascinating insight into the truths about normal adult teeth. Sorry if you have had negative comments from people about your teeth.
Love your videos, keep up the good work.
Thanks for the voice of reason plus interesting factoids on this subject. My teeth turn yellow with injudicious tea consumption so I looked into bleaching but decided to not permanently wreck my enamel with the acids used. I love your attitude to aging, and the ice-cream flex was hilarious!
I have sensitive teeth due to a couple of years of aspirational whitening. So I don't whiten anymore. Tea tannins are very strong and stain your teeth much more than coffee. My dental hygienist scolded me until I stopped drinking tea. They just couldn't get the tea stains off. I'm sad about it. I have a whole box of Yorshire Gold in my cupboard that I longingly stare at sometimes. I think I could get away with it if I use a straw. lol
It's not a good cup of tea until it puts fur on your teeth 😅
Thanks for this video! I've always been really sensitive about my teeth (genetics screwed me over with them), so hearing a good analysis of them over history makes me feel less weird
I've heard no one say this better, and it needed saying. Thank you!
I'm American. When I smile, I have giant, white, gleaming teeth. That's because I wear a removable veneer. Underneath, I have a molar with no crown, two crowns in desperate need of replacement, and a fully cracked in half front incisor. It is less expensive for me to wear a removable veneer than to actually have healthy teeth that function. I can only eat very soft foods, and couldn't even dream of biting into cold, frozen ice cream. I am a dance teacher and I work seven days a week. I thank my lucky stars that I can wear my veneer because there is horrifying prejudice against even minor cosmetic dental problems in the US. What I wouldn't give for normal, healthy, ivory colored teeth, Jimmy. When an archeologist finds my maxilla, they will surely pity me.
I'm really glad you put this video out. I live in the US and can't afford dental care. I have had a few molars pulled and I have a canine missing because alternative options were absurdly expensive. I actually think your teeth look great and I love the motto "if it isn't broke, don't fix it." I think we're too obsessed with having white straight smiles. I love it when people have interesting teeth. Gives 'em character.
A lot of people these days have forgotten how real humans are supposed to look
I have always had slightly yellower teeth than average, I already noticed it as a kid, but I've never had cavities or any teeth problems. The only problem is that I'm also super pale so my teeth are kind of the same colour as my face, which makes them look even yellower lmao
I’m so sorry people have been rude enough to comment on your appearance. People can suck and I never noticed personally. Thank you for all you do.
Regarding your anecdote about people having their healthy teeth removed as an 18th birthday gift - that was (maybe still is?) a custom in parts of Appalachia as well, and for the same reasons.
There is a substance called "MI paste" which is a milk-based treatment to help remineralize one's teeth. It has a toothpaste- like consistency which you apply for a few minutes after brushing. This might help you keep your enamel longer. My orthodontist gave this to me. It can also be bought on Amazon..
As an American who deals with our lousy healthcare system, I'm just glad I don't need a lot of tooth work. My spouse, however, has needed tons. My brother had to take a lot of antibiotics as a kid so his teeth are shot. I got stupidly lucky, and so I couldn't care less if my teeth aren't paper white. I actually kind of hate watching American made period films because they don't do anything to hide the glaring white teeth of the actors and it's actually distracting! I'm not surprised you got comments, but good on you for addressing them in an educational way!
I wanted pearly white teeth but I am too lazy to chase after it 🙃
(I wanted other things that the beauty standards made me desire but also too lazy to chase after, that is in fact how I resisted the beauty standard...just by being plain too lazy to go after it 🤪)
You are a remarkable man in so many ways, not the least of which is your ability to give an educational, apparently-not-angry-at-rude-questioners, calm and patient explanation of the state, color and care of your teeth. FWIW, mine are a similar color, due almost entirely to my father's DNA, which gifted me with strong-but-discolored teeth. My temper is another gift of my father's DNA (unless it's all learned, but either way, it's from Dad) and I would not have reacted nearly as pleasantly as you did. Kudos.
I moved to america from Scotland in 2009. My teeth were proper buggered what with grinding and an adhoc rotation on the oilrigs where i was called at very short notice to go work. When I came here I went to the dentist and was told that my molars were ground down so much that i was approximately 6 months from needing all my molars removed. So I opted for radical treatments, I had all but 6 of my teeth crowned the other 6 I had veneered. At the time i chose ultra white hollywood crowns, which in retrospect was a poor choice, i should have gone a shade or two darker. I do not regret spending £35k on my grill, being able to chew should not be underestimated. NHS dentistry is butchery…. They use old antiquated techniques which do not give the best long term results, for instance cerec onlay fillings, partial crowns and crowns….. my grand mother had all her teeth removed at 21 in the 40’s. Les risk of sepsis due to infection…. Joy.
I remember the first time I saw you talk about your big yellow teeth it made me feel so much better about mine. As an American I have absolutely had people suggest throughout my life to whiten my teeth. Thank you for talking about how it's very normal!
I love your theme music, but I don’t know what it is. Can you tell us the name of the piece and the composer?
BTW, I think your teeth look fine, lovely in fact.
He has a video on the song. I can't remember the exact title of the video but it's something like rugby, anime and saucepans. The song is sosban fach.
With photoshop and filters, cosmetic procedures, no one will know what a human actually looks like soon.
Surprised but not surprised that you have gotten so many comments on your very normal teeth. Here's my American dental care access story: I had very crooked teeth and a noticeable under-bite. When I was a teenager in the 90's my parents could not afford to pay for orthodontia (or much of any dental care) but my case was severe enough I was able to get care through a charity organization. In the middle of my multi-year braces and oral surgery journey my family income increased to the point where I didn't technically qualify for the charity anymore, but my parents still could not have actually paid for the treatment. I will forever be grateful that the orthodontist and surgeon doing my treatment decided that it would be cruel and unethical to stop the treatment and did the rest of it pro-bono. After that all finished up (when I was 18) I wasn't able to access any dental care for a few years until I enrolled in university and could get a cleaning and check up (but not fillings) through the university clinic. And then it was another 6 years or so before I was able to get a full time job with benefits that included dental care. By that time I was so used to not having dental care that it took a while for me to remember that routine dental check-ups/cleanings were a thing I should do and actually start making appointments. So I am definitely not surprised to hear that people in the UK actually tend to have better teeth than Americans.
As someone with extreme dentist fears, and who had braces as a child, and as an adult has pretty crappy teeth. This made me smile. Made me feel comforted if that makes sense??? Now I’m going to brush my teeth again real quick and figure how to get on the NHS as an American 😭
Yet another person appalled at the weird scrutiny of your appearance! Treating you like a show pony. Excellent table-turn on 'em with this super video 😁
Oh, might add bevel nut chewing to the colouring options. 🙌 💗
BETEL
Jimmy, you are hysterical. I too have not-so-white teeth, and am not bothered about it. Keep smiling.
As someone with a Welsh great granny, I'm also missing an adult tooth in my lower jaw! It's nice to know there are others out there with milk teeth that had no replacements! 😁You're lucky your milk tooth didn't cause any issues (mine did). 😆 And yes, drinking GALLONS of tea during one's lifetime will give your teeth an ivory/yellow look. 😆
Anyways, LOVED this look at teeth! 😁 It was a fun diversion from your usual fare! 😊
This was weirdly entertaining 😄
Thanks!
In a lot of large cities, there are a couple of places that offer free (rarely) or very-low-priced dental services, but you usually have to show proof of income (or rather, proof of poverty) AND get on a waiting list that may be very long unless you are in truly dire need of immediate attention.
A friend of mine participated in a week-long free clinic open to everyone in their area and they saw something like 500 people a day, many of whom had never been to a dentist or who only got dental care through the emergency room. The intersection of poverty & healthcare in America is a vicious cycle.
Keep smiling, Jimmy and keep up the good work!
Never let rude people like that dim your light.
Unexpected but very interesting, thank you for talking about teeth and dentistry in a practical, reasonable, relatable way. Happy munching
Thank you for this! Both the history lesson and the normalisation of normal (!) teeth.
I have a gap caused by a milk tooth too. Only with me my dad paid thousands of dollars to remove it and straighten a couple of other teeth when I was a kid. Problem was it was so expensive and took so long, by the time I left home, it wasn’t filled or bridged, I just had a retainer with a fake tooth which I promptly lost in college and was never able to afford having replaced, or afford any other way to fill the gap, so now decades later my teeth are even more crooked due to spreading out cuz of the extra space. It was painful, expensive, and ultimately a waste of money. American ls are far too obsessed with perfect teeth and orthodontics can prey upon that. 😢
Somewhat related, I would love to hear about sweets in the early mediaeval period (and perhaps even into late mediaeval!)
Interesting video. Always enjoy any of the history relevant info. And love love the Clark Gable nod. I'm a huge huge Clark obsessed fan. And yes, he was not blessed in the tooth genetic department, and lacked the money to deal with it as a youngster, then had extensive work done throughout his life. It was a source of insecurity for him during his career.
You have a beautiful smile that lights up when you talk about things you find interesting. It's contagious. Keep being awesome ❤
What a great video, Jimmie. Really intersting and informative. Thank you!
Friends that have had their wisdom teeth out! I would like to make a PSA: Floss behind that last tooth! I had no clue I was supposed to also floss there and now I have a lot of bone loss and extra cleaning they have to do. I always just thought you floss between teeth and never thought about. Not a single mention of this until a year ago when a tech was chastising me about it. I'm pretty good at following directions, but it honestly never occurred to me to do so! Also, if you have big gaps, use little interproximal brushes along with your floss and save yourself pain later. Trust me!