Ask any American for a UK stereotype and, after a love of tea and Harry Potter, they’ll say horrible teeth. In one episode of The Simpsons, a dentist whips out “The Big Book of British Smiles” in a bid to terrify his young patient into brushing. “That’s enough!” the child cries, breaking down in sobs over King Charles’s crooked grin. Our smiles are known to be devastating – in the worst way possible.
Yet, despite persisting caricatures, is the tide finally turning when it comes to our teeth? Millennials spend £750 a year on dental care – four times as much as our parents and eight times as much as our grandparents – according to data collected by the Oral Health Foundation. We all want Invisalign, the clear braces worn by Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish and Zac Efron, which can give you a Hollywood smile in three to 18 months without the mortification of train tracks. Over half (53 per cent) of under-35s have had cosmetic dental work done. But survey anyone outside of the millennial and Gen Z age bracket and the stat dwindles to 9 per cent.
