Are British teeth getting worse? We ask an expert

‘I’ve had people try to pull their own teeth out, file them, put glue in them.’ Illustration: Lalalimola/The Guardian

British teeth have long been the subject of jokes, from Austin Powers’ gnashers to the “big book of British smiles” used to scare Lisa Simpson into wearing her braces. But are British teeth actually getting worse? As Covid shines a light on the growing gaps in oral health inequalities, I asked Paul Woodhouse, Stockton-on-Tees dentist and British Dental Association board member.

Hi, Paul, how was work?
Coco, it’s carnage. Nonstop.