I know lots of stereotypes exist but why is it assumed that brits have bad teeth and BO?

Question

I've heard our friends from over the pond using it agains british people..

Answer 1

You have asked a serious question - so here's a serious answer. And I apologise for it being a bit lengthy.
But let's get the BO bit out of the way first; I've never heard it said, alleged or reported by any American and if that charge was levelled against me, as an average Brit, I would be seriously very offended. [I might add that I've spent many a journey on the New York subway system where some of my travelling companions were clearly unacquainted with the excellent cleansing qualities of plain old soap!]

Now about the teeth.... this story significantly starts with the outbreak of the Second World War (that's the 1939-45 conflict), when almost all British dentists were called up to serve in the British armed forces, either in their specialism,
or to be trained as anaesthetists in surgical units. As a consequence, the few dentists left in the UK to look after the population's teeth were either retired people brought back into practice, or those who were too old for military
service. This meant that dental treatments on offer to ordinary people were restricted to emergency work, and the usual annual inspection, extractions and fillings . Dental health, especially for children, was promoted, but no cosmetic work was, or indeed could be, offered. Hence children from, say, 1939 to the late 1950s had teeth which were relatively healthy, but had never been cosmetically corrected. Thus, a generation of young people grew up with less than a perfect smile. In their later years, some people sought appropriate treatment and ended up (rather belatedly!) with 'perfect' teeth. But many others, for what ever reason, e.g., lack of money (don't forget that the UK was absolutely on its knees following WW2), or because they had other priorities, and therefore did not bother with vanity' dental work.
Thus the legend grew that _all_ British people had (and still have?!) crooked teeth. Patently not true, of course, but such stories linger on, especially amongst Americans, since it was probably returning US servicemen who started the story after encounters with the 'Got any gum chum?' little English kids!
However, I can compare the teeth of the young members of the American side of my family with those of my British family members, and I can't see any difference in their teeth. However, where I _do_ see a difference is in the unnaturally perfect front teeth of some American TV newscasters, whose
veneered and capped teeth flash like ice caps in the Arctic sunshine every time they speak. I don't think many sane Brits would want to look like that - even if it did help to lay to rest the myth to which your question alluded!
Once again my apologies for the length of this Answer.

Answer 2

Because there are probably some Brits who do have bad teeth and BO (I'd actually never heard the BO one before).

Answer 3

I'm Canadian, but my Dad's Grandparents were British... when it became evident that I was going to need braces, that's all my dad's family could joke about. It was like "oh, it's just the British in her" and it drove me nuts! I've seen plenty of people with different ancestry with bad teeth, it's not fair that the British have the bad reputation. My best friend growing up was of mostly Swedish descent and she had false teeth by the time she turned 16.

Answer 4

in the previous Britain did no longer have a sufficient variety of sturdy dentists and in comparison with something of the civilized international, had in actuality very undesirable tooth. undergo in innovations that U and your friends have been in all threat no longer around 50 years in the past. all human beings is familiar with that the chinese language are short, yet that they had the countless tallest gamers in basketball on the Olympics. My factor is that only because of the fact u have some "exceptions" it does not inevitably render the stereotype incorrect. Edit: individuals have a stereotype for being fat because of the fact the time-honored public human beings ARE certainly fat!!! yet this has got here approximately in effortless terms at the instant.

Answer 5

stereotypes just happen. there could be a Brit who triggered a chain reaction that is eventually known throughout the world, or there could many Brits who have it. Asking why stereotypes exist is like asking who created God.

Answer 6

I think that it is because many British tourists are elderly people who have bad teeth and BO. I would not say this is true of the nation as a whole, or even elderly people as a whole, but enough of them exist to perpetuate this steriotype.

Answer 7

Brits don't have BO. They have bad teeth! The people with the BO are the Hidu people!

Answer 8

I have heard the bad teeth thing, but never BO. People are morons.

Answer 9

With the difficulty we now have getting free dental care, we will continue to have the reputation for bad teeth, that the Yanks in particular perceive. However, I don't believe we could ever have had a bad odour, so to speak. In any case, there are a lot of fat smelly Americans

Answer 10

It's just a racial stereo type,I wouldn't take it too seriously.I think the BO thing is a bit unfair but we do lag behind a bit with dental standards.