Americans now may be the butt of oral hygiene jokes in Britain after a study conducted in December.
According to the study in The British Medical Journal, researchers determined that people in the United States actually have a higher average number of missing teeth. On average, Americans had one less tooth than their British counterparts.
The same doesn't hold true for older populations. According to the same study, among those over 65, Brits averaged 13 teeth missing as compared with Americans with an average of 12 teeth missing.
Additionally, wealth and educational background had a positive impact on oral health.
The New York Times suggested that the findings may have limitations.
Different approaches to dental health may be why the number of missing teeth is greater in the United States. In addition, the study didn't take orthodontics or aesthetic dentistry.
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