Why are overly bleached teeth so popular in America?

Um, who cares. There is no interesting explanation.

I am American, of mainly UK descent so maybe the criticism is in my blood (also I have quite imperfect teeth), but I find it disturbing, too. A few visits abroad have been jarring when I’ve turned on the hotel room TV and seen newscasters and actors with...real teeth. And then after a day or two, I always end up thinking “what the fuck is wrong with Americans?”

r2 you will notice that you offer no explanation, just a further whine.

You can’t handle the tooth!

I dunno. I’m American and don’t see the point of it

I think the crazy white teeth trend is ending. We’ll forever favor white teeth over the yellow shit Europeans have in their mouths

Hahaha r4. I’m sending that to my sister.

Who wants yellow English teeth, baby?

There's absolutely nothing wrong with tooth whitening but Americans (in their usual fashion) managed to take this one a bit too far as well.

I watched some interview with Cheryl Hines recently and I couldn't take my eyes off her blinding teeth.

Beacause we are major Coffee Drinkers and that stuff is hell on tooth enamel.

OK, R3, here’s the explanation part. American people’s lives come down to self-service, pride and wealth and accumulation. We are all narcissists and we must show off our worth to everyone to feel good enough. Teeth are a commodity that is directly tied to wealth. Dental care is not covered by American health insurance and so a person or a family has to be well off to maintain “perfect” teeth. Wealthier people won’t stop at orthodontics: they need bigger, whiter teeth. They buy veneers at $2,000 per tooth that last a decade, maximum. It’s an ostentatious showing of wealth and luxury, just as are facial injections and plastic surgery. From the perspective of most living creatures, a Real Housewife face looks mutilated, but we are trained to think it looks “ageless” because we know someone paid a fortune for it.

Veneers are creepy. Young teeth in old heads.

I had a run of dentists a decade ago who did everything they could to manipulate, trick and shame me into getting bleaching or thousands of dollars worth of veneers onto me. I don't have yellow teeth but speckled teeth because of fluorosis, so they saw me as an easy mark. When manipulation didn't work, they used trickery, tried to make it seem absolutely necessary that for the sake of one tooth being drilled with a white filling, I had to get all of my teeth veneered or bleached so the rest of my mouth would "match" the one tooth. Which is bullshit because dentists actually have a process in which they can color match fillings and/or crowns.

So, to answer the question, I think that the reason why so many Americans have "white teeth"is that dentists have been hard selling them hardcore for the past two decades and patients have either been caving in to pressure or were tricked somehow into getting them.

OP: That's a very good question!

I could use it, but I'm concerned about the effects on tooth enamel.

As an American with Irish parents, white teeth were a hot commodity. But after much work, now as an eldergay my teeth are yellowish. None of my dentists have ever recommended whitening or anything other than medical/ hygienic treatment. In fact, I’ve had two reject my request because they said it would be bad for my teeth.

Yes, r13. The first time I saw someone with those REALLY white teeth was probably 1995.

I don’t believe it’s good for them in the long run. I remember my childhood dentist saying that teeth with a yellowish cast are stronger than whiter teeth, which are softer.

What really freaks me out is seeing affluent people with visible plaque on their teeth. For gods sake. And this mom who wears Gucci and has flawless teeth and her daughter has very dirty-looking teeth. They are wealthy. Can’t they get her teeth cleaned at least twice a year?

they want to pass the NAPKIN TEST

[quote] I had to get all of my teeth veneered or bleached so the rest of my mouth would "match" the one tooth. Which is bullshit because dentists actually have a process in which they can color match fillings and/or crowns.

This is very imperfect, which is exactly WHY if you need crowns and such, you need to get them all done at once. And crowns and fillings never change but teeth will color within a few years, so at best, your teeth look uneven after a few years after getting a crown.

R18 I want to slap those bitches in those commercials! Their teeth are already white and they whine about how yellow they are. They aren’t!

It's really true that in America, if you have jacked teeth even to a minor degree, it gives you away. The over bright white teeth is so stupid and awful though, especially on Hollywood people that are supposed to be "serious" actors. BUT I have to say that when I get my teeth whitened--I've done it twice-- I loved it. The first time I really needed it, because I had been a smoker for years.

Because it looks better than yellow teeth.

Some info:

This is why Americans bleach their teeth so much. It’s all the shit eating.

What about anal bleaching? Has that caught on in Europe or no?