Yeah I got one for candid aligners

Thank you so much for continually addressing the issues that poor and working class people face living under capitalism in the United States of America

I was a dental assistant for several years and to my knowledge this video was very well researched. Great job as always!

HAHHAHDDHEH I JUST GOT ONE FOR CANDID ALOGNERS

I also just got the candid aligners ad 💀

Yes! You should only comment on someone's teeth if you're telling them there's something stuck in them imo

Yess ! This is good rule to live by.

unless you’re complimenting them!

@@sarahshoe7013 Even then, you might want to stray from complimenting things people can't control unless you know how the person feels about such compliments. I know of people who really don't like comments on their physical features, but appreciate stuff like compliments on clothes.

I forgot where I first stumbled upon this quote couple years ago and has become my moto since.. this really turn you into a kinder person

Happens all the times!

Its so ridiculous!

Even worst. people are paying for the rich person that can afford it to get it for free. That’s the only reason rich people are given things - in exchange for the profits off poor consumers for promoting it.

@@kineybus2473 Yeah, i suffer from eczema and i only have money to get a lotion full of steroids. While at first it does helps with bad eczema at the end of the day I could get topical steroid withdrawal, so I chose just to not try anything. I've been seeing this skin treatment for dermatitis that is actually cheaper than other dermatologist brands, and I'm not kidding, that brand is EVERYWHERE giving free products to influencers and I'm here dying from eczema because even if it's cheaper I still can't afford it. It drives me nuts having to choose between taking care of my skin or paying rent. And people still have the guts to have an opinion telling me "why don't you just go to a dermatologist?" no shit!

Isn't that how it's always been? Feels like it.

Me too! I was ostracized during my adolescence because I had a large gap + buck teeth. I just finished Invisalign at 22 and am still paying it off. People treat me so drastically different it’s insane. Invisalign changed my life.

Fact DENTISTS BY LAW ARE SUPPOSED TO HELP EVERYONE INCLUDING THE POOR,I DARE YOU PROVE OTHERWISE 😡😡😡

And I lost one tooth

Pretty privilege is always prevalent

I’m 32 and just saved up enough to afford braces and get that question constantly. I never actually stopped to question why

I'm 17 and got braces just now because during the crisis my family wasn't able to afford it. For this reason I had to get rid of 3 teeth because my mouth wasn't "buildable" anymore

This is interesting because in the U.K if your parents can't afford getting braces due to their income it will be covered by the nhs so we see less adults with braces.

@@tracymay6078 in austria everyone under 18 yo can get braces if their teeth impacting their health. 1/3 of my class in highschool had "free" braces.

Exactly... Braces are at least a thousand dollars where I live. I don't have my own job yet since I'm a full-time student, but studying in schools where the majority are relatively well-off, I never want to smile with my mouth open:((.

Yeah no, any dentist should agree that whitening kits can strip enamel and be even worse for teeth. Wth

It’s so weird how white teeth are the absolute norm in the USA since the color is purely aesthetic (unless your teeth are a darker shade of yellow or other color there’s nothing wrong with them). I remember when the internet made a big deal about how brave Harry styles was to not whiten his teeth and I was just like??

everytime I go to the dentist, the same thing happens but also with braces. My teeth are straight enough for me, it doesn’t bother me. And I tell them that but I feel almost bullied going there because even I could afford them I wouldn’t get them but they make it seem like semi yellow teeth and one crooked tooth will ruin my life forever.

My dentist suggested teeth whitening as well

I guess we will find a way to complain about other people, because im still pissed off that my family dentist (who was very good and saved my dads teeth) never wanted me to have braces because it was "a minor aesthetic issue" nor whiten my teeth, and now my new dentist say they cant whiten them up because the stains are too far back on the teeth so it wont do much. I hate it, im a happy person and i think the shape of my smile is pretty good so it sucks that i have to hide it and look like a weirdo everytime.

FACT DENTISTS ARE SUPPOSED TO HELP EVERYONE INCLUDING THE MIDDLE CLASS AND POOR IN FACT DENTISTS DON'T HAVE ANY LEGAL RIGHT TO HELP ONLY THE WEALTHY,I DARE YOU PROVE OTHERWISE 😡😡😡

Yeeees. Now add glasses to dat

It is very frustrating, especially with the pervasive myth that it’s all about your actions

That is so strange. I must be lucky too cuz I’m actually very lazy about brushing my teeth I’ve just gotten to the point where I don’t care enough, & every time I go to the dentist they say my teeth are just fine & no cavities which only makes me less motivated to brush as much as recommended lol, like do I really need to brush twice a day every single day when my teeth are just fine… I guess apparently it is different person to person & im just lucky🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

i didn't even know this!

Bacteria in the mouth might be causing heart and circulatory health issues

​@eastlynyesburkholder3559 yes

Thats so cool! I wish this kind if program was more widespread

if this was implemented in all school districts could you imagine how much less of a problem dental care would be

Lol when I was little I thought everyone got that (my school also had free vision and hearing tests). Imagine my shock when I learned some kids had to pay for their lunches! Yeah like lower middle class kids were the "rich kids".

@@basicallyperidot5299 we also had free vision and hearing, but it was more of a screening kind of thing and it stopped past middle school

Yes these programs are so important! ❤️

I'm so sorry you relate to this video too but I love your video essays

It’s a crime that you aren’t verified.

@@smallandstressed2364 Now they are!

Do it before it is to late. Replacing a tooth was not cheap !

I work in dentistry as an assistant, I always tell my patients that let themselves go from depression or just general life the same thing "You're here now and that's what matters" Please please please do yourself a favor and don't let your dental anxiety be the reason to not go. Make the appointment, notify the lady on the phone, the front desk upon check in, and the assistant or hygienist about your anxiety they will accommodate you, and if they don't it's not a good office. Some dentist prescribe a days worth of anxiety meds to help you get through your visit. Always speak up, pain is never normal during a dental visit, if you feel pain TELL YOUR DENTIST, raise your left hand first to get their attention. And i am just trying to place perspective here, and I don't want to scare you, but I've seen so many patients that "dissappear" for a 2 or more year period of time that needed like 2 or more crowns and root canals and a few fillings, that turned into full mouth extractions and dentures. Don't let embarrassment and anxiety be the reason you need dentures at a "too young" age. (Too young is usually under 65-70y.o) Good luck! I hope this helps ❤

Hey play auntie! ★彡(⌒▽⌒)

I've never had a dentist who asked about what food I eat, just how often I brush and floss.

@@krombopulos_michael Having a diet of more processed foods that tend to be higher in sugars is known to be significantly worse for your teeth though, which is why people need more regular cleanings and preventative care to keep their teeth healthy nowadays. If you live in a food desert, these kinds of foods are probably all you have access to, which affects your oral health.

Oh our favorite!

Absolutely!!

i thought it was also about getting old and dying????? either way it is such a scary dream lol

Really... I once did...dental care are a privilege

i used to get them all the time as a kid, they were the most painful nightmares

I think it means you're grinding your teeth in your sleep, and doing lots of damage

For me it was anxiety that maybe I wasn't taking the best care of my teeth, then I'd have nightmares of them falling out or them being really bad

"we don’t need teeth or eyes to stay alive. That’s why dental and vision are considered luxuries." wow... holy shit you just hit it right on the head there. and that just broke my heart...

Yep. Can't work with a broken hand but you can work with a painful cavity

@@bece00 I mean you do need eyes to work

Actually your teeth health does affect your health dentistry being aesthetized aside

@@idek7438 there are blind people with jobs.

Good luck on your studies! I wish you the best in your academic future.

@@elenaKS230 thank you so much!! It means a lot :)

I’d love to know if you made it! I hope you did. Someone willing to listen would be a blessing. I have 2 teeth that are just decaying away because no one takes my insurance for surgical extractions. They won’t even talk to me. I’ve had offices that are technically on my plan hang up on me when I say Texas Star (aka Medicaid) The best I can do is just keep waterpicking more and more tooth away over time and get antibiotics at the urgent care when I get an abscess. The one major thing that would have helped me was prices being posted up front. I’m scared of going in and not being able to pay and no one really wants to give you prices until you’re there for your appointment.

as a fellow predent gearing up to apply in the next few years,, rooting for you!!

Please do

thank you !!! this is v true and it rlly does makes u v self conscious. i wish ppl would just be nice to others without always pointing out something or the other about our appearances.

There was a period of my life where I was depressed everyday for a long time. I barely brushed my teeth and I didn't have Braices. And oh boy. It was the worst. But hey, now I brush my teeth daily and have a invisalign! (It's like braices ,, but better look it up lol)

And I'd like to mention, they weren't cheap!! If ur lucky u can get Braices for 1000 euros

i just have one question though. as someone who’s slowly healing from my past depression, i just never felt the urge to not brush my teeth or not to shower. it’s basic hygiene. i get that you’re in a sad space and stuff, but how are you just okay sitting there smelling like dirt? i am genuinely curious because i myself, how badly things be, i can’t go one day without brushing my teeth or not showering.

@@iiamromika ig depression and other mental health issues works differently for different ppl. i hate feeling "dirty" but i could go not taking a shower or brush my teeth for weeks, although, i still try to keep myself fresh by doing other things like rinsing my mouth or just keeping washed clothes near my bed so if i feel like changing into good clothes i will. idk this is what i do :) and im glad you're getting better !! its a nice thing you can do daily activities well without any hindrance, i hope we all reach there or try our best to do what we can everyday :D

I'm sorry you had to go through that! I get how importan dental hygene is and how brushing, flossing etc can greatly reduce the risk of some things, but I don't get why we don't get told very often how genetics play a very big part in what we can get. I'm very lucky because I never got a cavity until last year (it got very deep because I didn't notice), but I only found out I have genetically good teeth like at 19/20. I didn't know it was a thing. I also didn't know that teeth whitening can increase the risk of cavities and such and that naturally darker teeth are usually less prone to problems. It's so fucked that things that a lot of times are uncontrollable (like if you have crooked teeth and can't properly clean some spots you might have more problems) get blamed on people and are expensive to fix. Man I hate this

Me too! I'd cry on the way home every time I'd get a cavity. Especially because they'd push the "it's your fault, brush your teeth and floss." When I actually had really good hygiene! I brushed 3X a day sometimes and 2X a day every day. I even bought a the fancy equipment to help and I still got cavities.

Drinking green tea could help because of the antioxidants

I had asthma bad as a kid. And asthma medication actually causes cavities and you’re supposed to brush right after. And even that isn’t going to help a ton.

@@WarmSun_MGM whoa that explains why my brother has 17 cavities

facts. I wish more people would think like you.

Absolutely spot on.

🎯🎯🎯

Yes! I live in a rural area and it usually takes 2-3 months in order to be seen by a dentist because there aren’t enough dentists for the amount of people.

Not just living in a city/(local)major metropolitan area, but living in the "RIGHT" part(s) of a city makes a huge difference too, especially when local public transportation is bs.

Lucky you..

@@karalsor6145 i wish it was that way everywhere. It damned well SHOULD be

Same here in the Netherlands. We have a mandatory basic health insurance that every resident needs to have, which includes free regular checkups and basic stuff like cleanings/fillings/x-rays for under 18 for free and over 18 capped at I think 150 euros. Braces and things like dentures are not part of that basic income, but there are additional insurance "packages" that you can pay for which does include things like certain amounts of coverage for those expenses. My parents had enough money to get the orthodontics 100% insured, which was good because both my little brother and I needed braces and follow-up orthodontic treatments for at least 5 years. I now have a metal wire glued at the back of my front upper and lower teeth to prevent them from shifting. The only expense I have now is some random cleaning once every two years because I am lazy and do not use tooth picks, and the occasional once every five years 30 euros to dab some extra glue on the wires to keep them in place. The percentages of cost that the insurance covers is I think is around 50%, 75% and 100%, with every company that sells these additional insurance packages having a slightly different coverage.

same in brazil, thank god cause... this is sad

;-; you guys get that for free? FREE?! My brothers braces over time costed us $10,000. Why does my country say its great again? :"((

Right?! Like at this point we're just weird as hell, people are flexing bones being a typically unnatural white, huh? It's bizarre and has been to me since I learned a bit about teeth as a little kid.

Lmaoo never thought of it like this. But imma fixate😂😂

@@mewmew6158 teeth are not bones ^^ but yeah humans are weird!

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rK2IjMiClb2md5c.html

@@choicethetaurus Imagine self promoting and the song is actually good

It is tho? That's not covered by insurance in America? My god, yall are WILD

It isn't? Honestly, what even is covered by insurance in the US? I'm always shocked at the extent of the dystopia you guys have to deal with. :/

And aural care - are hearing tests & hearing aids covered under government funded healthcare programmes?

It's the same in the UK it's not covered by the NHS unless you are a child or have a really big problem. But they tend to do discounts and things to try and make it cheaper.

i’m a teenager and have very poor vision but i live in the uk and eye tests/glasses are covered by the nhs for children. however, due to my bad vision my lenses are very thick so the optician said that i needed to get them thinned for £80, although my parents could afford this, this is not the case for many people. so even though it’s ‘free’ it’s not really and there are many hidden costs.

I feel you. Every time i go to the dentist my dentist tells me "you know you need braces, right?" And I just sit there like 😑 I KNOW. I can't afford it. My teeth are VERY visibly crooked. One of my front top teeth is off to the side. I can't do anything about it. I'm 19 in university on financial aid and I don't have the time to get a job or my grades will drop and I will no longer be able to go to school. I've never dated anyone and I wonder if it's because my teeth make me super unattractive. I don't like to smile because I know my teeth are ugly. It's just awful

Yeah, it's a problem of the hypercapitalistic system. In countries with less capitalism and more social healthcare, the government wants people to be healthy because healthy people == higher production == more money made in the country. While in the US, with its extremely capitalistic hellscape privatized healthcare system they want people to be sick so they can make money off of them. The government/society doesn't care about the health of its residents. All it cares is about how much money it can extract from them.

Same, I'm so tired of the suffering pf people.. It kills me.. I suffer myself but seeing others go through it too... The US needs to change so bad. If everyone can get good health then it would raise productively and lower our huge debt... Not sure what doesnt make sense. Even for the capitalist system. If we all just drop and die from all these problems.. Who pays them then...

True. We already aren't living naturally in small tribes and communities like we are supposed to, so we need to move past the whole "I only take care of me and mine" attitudes and be willing to help each other on larger scales. That is the only way society can work well at the large level we have it. We need to start thinking of our 'tribes' on a much bigger level, and take care of each other if we have any desire to live in a good world.

I'm so glad you are taking it gently on yourself. You've been through a lot and are strong.

@@sarah3796 I second this

Are you and your teeth ok now? I really hope you got the help you needed (mental health care I mean). Bulimia and binge eating really fucked with my teeth and I couldnt risk them finding out about my "shameful" secret. The recovery process really only gets worse before it gets better. It's a debilitating mental illness.

I’ve had a eating disorder as well, it’s the worst. *hugs*

If you still haven't been to the dentist, look for one that is reaching out to people who specifically haven't been to the dentist for years, have anxiety, etc. There are dentists that specialize in that and hopefully they will make you feel comfortable.

Same 😂

But where are you from? Don’t be fooled, people will probably also have veneers in your country. Your name looks a little Dutch, so if you’re indeed dutch, veneers are very popular there too.

Veneers actually just go on top of your teeth, this TikTok trend completely mis-labeled the proceedure. What these people are getting are teeth Crowns, not veneers. For veneers they might just lightly sand the surface of the tooth and that's it.

Same tho

@@Monaslifeoncamera okay, BUT STILL TERRIFYING!

Oh my god I swear I could’ve written this, it’s like my life exactly. My parents never really brushed their teeth and so didn’t teach me too, I went to the dentist for the first time in my life at 17 and they said my jaw had not grown properly and now I have a pretty bad underbite which after 3 years of braces and countless specialist appointments and x-rays still isn’t fixed. It’s so difficult even now to get into the habit of brushing twice a day which most people don’t understand. It messes me up to think that if I got braces when I needed them years ago it would’ve prevented a lot of issues since it’s my biggest insecurity and I have headaches due to the pressure 🥲

It's been almost a year, but what you're shared was really heartbreaking. You didn't get a good foundation in childhood for dental care, but you're doing what you can now and setting goals for yourself. You should be damn proud, getting over a lifetime of habits isn't easy. All the best on your journey, truly, the dentist's that aren't giving you the right support and encouragement are the ones who need to to better.

Literally so similar to my experience I’m almost 25 now and the lack of a foundation for dental care as a minor and all the jobs I’ve had since I’ve been allowed to work wouldn’t even provide health let alone dental 🦷 and gov services are pretty much inaccessible

Literally going through the same thing right now, I’ve had really bad cavities on both sides of my molars and they are essentially rotting. My family only bothered to address it when my right molar essentially caved in but I still haven’t gotten any treatment. It’s now painful to chew or eat anything cold on the left side and I have a shitty job + have to literally pay my parents hundreds in rent for us to continue living in our house lol. I can’t afford to get the painful root canals and fillings I need

Yes I agrere. I am autistic

I agree, UIC dental school saved me. I wish my parents knew about them sooner because it would have saved me headaches from shoddy work I had done on my front teeth as a kid.

@@Pandaluver67899 UIC is that is Chicago? I will be moving over there and will no longer have dental insurance. I have worked full time all these years but now as a graduate student I will not be able to work full time. The price of dental care worries me. I will be in need since I have to continue my braces treatment.

@@Pandaluver67899 I’ve had braces for 5 years and they did a horrible job. Now, I’m stuck with their mistakes and have to continue treatment elsewhere with no insurance any longer.

It's illegal for dentists to only help rich people and I dare you prove otherwise 😡😡😡😡

@Natalie That is absolutely so distespectful!

@Natalie delete this, you're making a fool of yourself.

@@sakuramaster9979 I'm working on an appeal now 😊 we go again next month! His orthodontist said he had a good chance next time! Thanks!

@@corsetedwasteland2630 good luck!!!!

@Natalie dentures are personalized to fit the mouth of each individual. Someone else's dentures likely won't fit. It's like asking a myopic person to use someone else's glasses. Assuming her granny even had dentures. A lot of old people don't need or use them.

I don't know where you live, but I live in the US, and I definitely agree. It's appalling the way the disabled and elderly are treated in this country, some even dropped off and abandoned at Skid Row. This country won't allow you to grow old gracefully (unless you're upper middle class or higher with a lot of money). Unless you're rich, here, you can't afford growing old. It can be 40K a month needed to take care of old folks/those with special needs or conditions. They've made growing old in this country a fearful, humiliating thing for many.

Oh my gosh yes, I’m hard of hearing and it’s insane the way most insurance either doesn’t cover it or only covers it until age 18

Hearing aids are way too expensive and it's wild that they're not covered. My dad was so anxious about having to get hearing aids in his early 40s. Luckily he was able to afford the huge out of pocket cost (and pay that cost again every few years when they need replacing), which meant his bigger worry was how people would treat him at work because there can definitely be a stigma associated with hearing loss. And it makes me sad when I see people get annoyed with him for not being able to hear when he's due for an upgrade, or in situations where he can't wear them - like around any kind of water, including rain or sweat, which will destroy these expensive electronics. Also worth noting the ongoing expense of constantly replacing the batteries, which really adds up and can be a barrier for lower-income folks, even if the hearing aids themselves get covered. When my grandparents entered nursing homes in their 90s, I discovered another way people who wear hearing aids get screwed over, which is that the staff would often either not put their hearing aids in for them or arguably worse, put them in with dead batteries so they were effectively giving someone who already couldn't hear well really expensive ear plugs to wear all day. Our family had to keep reminding them the hearing aids aren't optional, they're essential. I really feel for all the people in nursing homes who don't have family available to advocate for their care.

My god

She is the best! Glad you're spreading the knowledge

I'm the same! My parents didn't brush their teeth and they never made me brush my teeth either, least of all took me to a dentist. I never gave it a thought! I didn't start brushing or flossing until I was 15. You can imagine I've got a lot of tooth decay. I finally got to go get my 50-ish cavities filled when I was 19, 7 years later I've not i had insurance or money for a dentist since. Several of my fillings have fallen out and lots of my teeth have chipped off! No good. I'm very good about brushing and flossing and I eat fairly healthy but sadly that's not enough at this point, the damage has been done and I need to be going to the dentist regularly but of course it's ridiculously expensive without insurance. I'm 26 and I've only just gotten a stable enough job and dental insurance so here's to the future! And you bet your nipple if I ever have kids they will be flossing and brushing religiously!!

Same here. My dad was always really good about his teeth, but both my parents and in turn myself, were all raised in poverty, so his teeth had to get pulled in his 60s or so, and looking back I'm fairly certain both myself and my mom had ADHD making it difficult for her to remember to brush her own teeth, let alone teach her child to, and in turn made it difficult for me to remember to do it more than once a week until probably my early teens, and even then it was only on school days that I could remember to do it. Add on top of that, that I don't think any of us ever flossed, I don't know if my parents realized the importance of it, and honestly even now I can only remember to do it when I feel something stuck between my teeth.

Me too, they told me to brush my teeth occasionally but they were busy with work, I never went to the dentist once until this year, At 20yrs old , imagine how they look like, I only fixed two now from 6 I had fucked up, some will probably get removed and I will need braces as well , People always like to comment on my front teeth, one is prominent and they fail to recognize that not everybody had the privilege.

Pretty much the same for me. My parents didn't really care about dental health. And the one time I went to a dentist as a child was to have a rotted tooth pulled. I still deal with both, extreme insecurity about my teeth, and the fear of seeing a dentist because of my childhood experience.

My mom is a nurse and it was something she made sure to stress dental care important. I’m 32 with a full upper denture and bottom teeth that need several thousand dollars in work. So sometimes people just have shitty genes like me lol But your point is excellent. My dads teeth are awful and his parents didn’t place an importance on dental care. Ya just never know.

Same!!!!

...there’s more to life than Class/Gender/Race, that’s why

apparently that more to you in life is to be a hater, literally be one of the first to click someone’s video just to leave hate comments. how miserable you must be to leave 22 negative comments under someone’s videos:(

Because they would have to admit to there own bias to blinding white teeth.

@@Americansikkunt Why do you watch this channel?

having severely crooked teeth is part of the reason why I didn't bother trying to pursue acting after high school :(

@@bloobluex I'm so sorry :( I really wish that industry wasn't so picky about people's teeth, I feel like if we watched more entertainment with people having "imperfect" teeth it'd make a lot of us feel less alone about it honestly.

@@noblenova9324 most of them got invisalign

@@noblenova9324 Period pieces/historical movies would look way more realistic if they didn't just cast people with blindingly white, completely uniform teeth. We know that people in the days before whitening and braces were common (or even existed at all), wouldn't have teeth like that. It always takes me out of the movie because I cannot muster up the suspension of believe that these people are really civil war soldiers or medieval peasants.

Jesus. That’s insane 😭 I have no idea how to feel bout that

University of Iowa Dental College?

This is why I can't be around affluent people. "Wow, you've never been outside the US? Why?" Shoot, why didn't my parents finance my travels? Oh yeah, cause they are poor!

@@dericmederos1514 i totally feel you on this! as a first gen mexican american i’ve only ever been in texas or mexico and people always question me like “how come you’ve been to mexico but you’ve never gone to cancun!?!” n it’s like ok but my mom saved up for years for us to go on a 20hr drive to go see our only family so like… why would i go to cancun?

This is disgusting. Classism is prevalent regardless of who you are. Race isn’t the problem, it’s lack of empathy and kindness.

I had braces as a late teen/adult & had to pay myself. Still unsatisfied.

I really wanted braces as a kid but my parents couldn't afford them. Heck I still want them now at 37 but I can't afford.

@@da1911 I'm turning 28 this month and I feel the same way. I kind of thought I would magically be able to afford them once I got my degree, hit a certain age and became a Real Adult. :( Oops!

and people on tiktok have the audacity to remove their braces at home "because they didn't like the look of them" not only endangering their teeth but also spitting in the face of people who can't afford those things. >:(((( i was born in Pakistan but moved overseas and live an upper-middle-class life spending every day grateful for the position i'm in. too many kids and family members i know personally can't pursue their dreams because of financial reasons, and to see people waste their money on things they don't use is just mind bending and disgusting.

Part of the problem is that teeth don't have much of an early warning system. Even a tiny paper cut will sting, and you'll pull away from the paper. But teeth don't let on something's wrong until they're a good way along or a dentist sees them.

yes!! white teeth teens for example

@@faerie111 yep! It was in her debut single royals and in another song I can't remember... Teeth were super important to her and maybe there was just a huge emphasis on getting money and buying nice teeth specifically in her culture

@@faerie111 ugh love that song. Now I gotta go listen to pure heroine again 😂

It's fricken expensive to get orthodontics here in NZ and for that matter dentistry (depending on age and circumstances). It is free for check ups until the age of 17, but anything above and beyond that- i.e. orthodontics is expensive. Most parents and people can't afford $2000 for teeth extraction (probably more- this figure is based on 4 wisdom teeth being removed 10 years ago) or $5000 to $10,000 for braces plus on top are the regular appointments that are charged separately. Culturally we avoid the dentist like the plague (haha pun intended)- probably in the long run doing damage requiring more expensive treatment later or even emergency dentistry. Not only that but in some parts of the Country availability is also an issue. But in Auckland dentistry is probably more easily available? but peer pressure might be greater? I don't know I am in an older generation and never was part of the 'braces is a right of passage' despite knowing I should have had them (open bite and wearing my back teeth down) but my parents wouldn't have been able to afford them. I am considering them now though even in my 30s if it will prevent issues down the track...

I have always had CRAZY crowded teeth, and I distinctly remember as a 13 or 14-year-old clapping back at some douchecanoe that was trying to make fun of my teeth with, "what, because I CREATED THEM LIKE THAT?!?! Idiot." 🙈 But I just couldn't believe someone would make fun of somebody else for something they have no control over.

omfg yes being called vampire is cool sometimes but like then my grandparents used to use it in a demeaning way... now that i think about it theyve always been mean to me about my weight and how i look and telling me that i wont stay so skinny for long and will fatten up when i get older

i was made fun of for having "horse teeth" when i was a teenager, but as an adult i've grown to love my big clunky teeth. i really hope society can get to a place where we celebrate our differences instead of shunning them :(

@@renoirrr that's so unfortunate that you have had to deal with that, i hope you know you're worth so much more than your outward appearance!! xx

I can relate

Thank you!! And sending that hug right back at you! 🤗 Just wanted to say I appreciate the hell out of your comment, because that's *exactly* how I feel. I smile with my lips closed, cover my mouth when I do laugh, and most of the time I even talk less animatedly than I used to in order to hide a mostly-missing tooth as much as possible. And it doesn't matter what's going on or how long it's been since I looked in a mirror, some part of my mind is constantly aware/self-conscious of opening my mouth. I just wish this stuff was as regularly talked-about and pushed to be accepted as everything else (thinking mainly of the whole body-positivity movement). Either way, you aren't alone. And thank you for the reminder that I'm not either. 😊

:( teeth can hurt tho..

@@sakuranovaryan9261 yup. People can literally die from bad teeth. But it’s expensive and not covered. There are ways to heal your teeth. It takes dedication. But can be done.

@@taliatalia1666 what do you mean heal them?

Don 't do it I'm sure you look good and teeth are really not everything. To people who are close to you and really Love you, do not care so much what you look like ... they are just used to seeing you. There are so many different smiles in the world. And really the most important thing is to just smile :) Life is short for messing with things like that and you do not owe anyone anything, so just smile 💫 Sorry for my English

You should watch Aly art channel she has made me feel so good about my nose and body 💕 Btw I think teeth as they're healthy looks fine it's kinda weird those artificial teeth and super white (no sé como decirlo en inglés pero para esos dientes de influencers les quitan la corona para tener esos resultados😭 que feo no son mas sus dientes naturales/verdaderos)

while I get that insecurities are different, I wouldn't see why I'd be ashamed over something I didn't even cause, like what am I going to do? magically move my teeth like a weirdo to make it straight? lmao even I'm not straight so it's nbd for me

One month of using medicinal cannabis has improved my mental health such that I have started to like my "bad" teeth as part of myself.

omg sameee 😭 i'm even crying while typing this. ive been very insecure with my teeth since the first time they grew. i barely open my mouth when i talk (that's why i sound like im mumbling all the time), i cover my mouth when i laugh and there is not a day i dont think about my teeth. :< a few people have also pointed it out too and it really sticks with you. 😔 theyd ask "why arent you getting braces?", "why are your teeth like that" and so on... 🤷🏻‍♀️

Hope everything is going well 😮

They've changed it to up until the year you turn 24 now!!

That so cool. I make minimum wage ( 30,000 more than most my classmates lol ) as an undergrad ( local community College about $15,000 + add required materials a yr) at work my boss and coworkers advised invest in my appearance as a health care worker ( otherwise I'd look like I don't take care of myself) they bluntly told me to get dental work done. So I signed a contract at the ortho for $8000 ( on installment payments) and I also got 8 extractions $5000 upfront cost. 100% worth 16 hr shifts, 4 days a week 😭

@@lanzhan oh I did not know that, cool! :D

Ah this is great. makes me even more sad to be born in a crappy country. I'm 18. I've had problems with my teeth since middle school (my baby teeth didn't fall and new teeth grow in weird places and positions) and mom didn't take me to a dentist/ orthodontist (we don't really have any good ones where I live.. orthodontics is something new to us so.. anyways) I've hated my smile ever since.. when I became a little older (high school) I told them I had to fix my teeth.. dentist told me that I should've come earlier and that made me even more depressed.. that was about two years ago. We had to postpone it because of financial problems.. here I am worried that it gets worse... and many who had braces in my city warned me to do it here and told I should travel to the capital if I don't want to mess my teeth up. My parents promised to do it this year so I don't know.. But I had to think about evey single time I smiled for the past 6 years of my life.. never felt good about smiling makes me self-conscious and nervous. Really no one deserves this... Glad not all kids have to go through something similar but definitely getting something like braces shouldn't be that expensive...

I was just about to comment that! I’m from Sweden too and my teeth were complete chaos before braces, and luckily it was free

Omggg.. getting braces is expensivee too here, which country are you living in?

@@nabilapinontoan7763 USA!

It's really interesting. My mum grew up lower, lower middle class and has had life long dental issues associated with really crooked teeth. Even though I probably didn't need braces, my mum still made me get them because she was so worried and could afford it. Teeth trauma man.

as far as I know, braces are pricey as shit, my friend is kind of in the same financial point as me? (lower middle class in a poor country) and she said braces were pricey when her teeth weren't even that crooked as opposed to me and my other friends lmao

@@charlotteodonnell8175 Same thing happened with my mom except she was not able to afford them when I needed them. Now as an adult with a good job I paid for braces for myself and for her.

Someone in rhe comments mentioned that they prefer this because they are still students they are supervised by actual dentists and double checked so in that regard it might actually be safer/better while also cheaper. You could try going for something super basic and non invasive like a cleaning and see how you feel about it.

I have always gone to my dental college they’re so incredibly nice and I always say they’re probably doing a better job cause they’re getting graded 😂

I have depression and it used be so hard to do ANYTHING, let alone brush & floss. I developed migraines later in life. When the first one hit it was so debilitating I couldn't get out of bed for 5 days, had to have a friend come get me, carry me to the car and take me to the hospital. On day 6 I brushed my teeth for the first time and it was the most painful experience.

The irony of depression is knowing you'll feel better if you do _____, but still not being able to. Im a dental assistant and I experienced severe depression during the lock down of the 2020 pandemic, I was home from work, and my father died. My hygiene suffered along w everything else. I assure you, however, I've NEVER judged a patient based on the state of their teeth. A good health care provider CARES and wants to help you.

it's part of the mouth biology! some people just have strains of bacteria that are more efficient at breaking down teeth than others :(

Even between my kids I see this! My boys who care less have straight teeth n never get cavities (they’re 19). My girls who constantly brush/floss/mouth wash all needed braces n got cavities due to crowding

Yes, so much yes. My mother had to change practically all of her teeth, and so did my father. Im now in the same path, by no choice of my own. Anxiety plus fragile theet is a bad combination

Yes I take care of my teeth so well and get so many cavities… but my brother goes weeks at a time without brushing and he never gets cavities. Not fair! 🤪🤪

Also, acid reflux can make not getting cavities nigh on impossible.

People instead of wanting to help, just want to make fun of you. I’ve went through self neglect phases, the worst of which happened before i was 13 and i take very good care of myself but i would’ve looked far better if i hadn’t been as depressed as i was.

Yeah, I get really bad bouts of depressive episodes where I wouldn’t brush my teeth and I know that has contributed to my oral health being the way that it is now. I also don’t have the best genetics and grew up poor so that didn’t help either. I would go several days at a time not brushing my teeth, washing my face, and taking showers because I had no motivation to do so because of my depression. I hate going to the dentist because I don’t like being judge over how my teeth look and their overall health. I can’t control certain things about them and I feel like they treat me like a piece of trash

I had almost the same exact experience growing up. It almost feels like you're being punished for having depression

Grew up just like this and still don’t have the money to do more than bandaid solutions at the moment and at 26 I still get rude comments from people. It’s crazy how entitled people feel to comment on something that has nothing to do with them.

Same here, depression and eating disorders ruined my teeth. But please know we are all still beautiful and valid humans. Love to you all ❤️

Never heard of that before, interesting fact!

Same as having a tan was deemed to show you were poor and had to work in the fields etc whereas pale skin showed you were wealthy enough not to do that type of work

So interesting!!

Same as being overweight or obese was a rich people thing back then.

@@ValeriiaJ that I knew! But yes, interesting too

Yes!! My dentist friends have also been involved in diagnosing AIDS (via oral candidiasis)

@@ailem2707 that’s so awesome!!! ❤️❤️❤️

Dental infections can also spread to other parts of the body and become quite serious if not treated.

@@wishforinfinity absolutely! 👏

the craziest thing ever to me is removing healthy teeth to get veneers/dentures. absolute nightmare fuel, man.

Yup

@@deanmoriarty6015 yup

@@deanmoriarty6015 to be fair no one removes teeth to get dentures on purpose and for veneers they’re just slightly shaved down (like the veneer prep tiffany showed). Veneers actually make your teeth stronger, but you’re right that they’re totally medically unnecessary for most people.

@@juliawright12 removing, shaving down to the point of where it doesn’t function, same difference. either way it’s horrifying

It's illegal for dentists to only help rich people

@@ethanshelbyskateboarding9980You’ve posted this comment several times. Do you understand what legal/illegal means? Illegal means breaking an existing law. There is no law regarding who dentists must treat. Accurate language matters.

@@Wee162 FACT ASSCLOWN DENTISTS ARE SUPPOSED TO HELP EVERYONE NOT JUST RICH TRASH

@@Wee162BY ONLY HELPING WEALTHY PEOPLE DENTISTS ARE BREAKING THE LAW

@@Wee162 DENTISTS DON'T HAVE ANY LEGAL RIGHT ONLY HELPING RICH PEOPLE,BY DOING SO DENTISTS ARE PRACTICING INCOME DESCRIMINATION WHICH IS ILLEGAL 🖕🖕🖕

Omg yes. When I was younger I didn’t think it was messed up (as I was a child myself) but now I realized how messed up that was. They were literally CHILDREN...

@@xxnicolexx03 yup

Toddlers and tiaras was one of the most fucked up things I have ever watched...I remember a mother wanted to use chlorine to her 4yo daughter's teeth as a ''whitening" ....

On the flip side i hope it gave you empathy for people who don’t have perfect teeth…

I wish I had a mom like that. My mom is not poor, she's a physician (but oddly very hippyish and into "New age" stuff). She's very careless and due to her personal aversion to dentists (despite her having 2 dentists aunts) she rarely took my sister and I to the dentist as children. We went like maybe twice or thrice from ages 5 to 12. And when I was 13 I already had messed up teeth, and the orthodontist said it was a terrible case of neglect. It's been 10 years, and my teeth are still bad (bad enamel, very prone to cavities) but at least they are straight now. My mom denies that she neglected us as kids.

Sounds awful lol like a little cult of teeth

As a dental professional myself, shame on your mom and everyone she worked with. That’s awful and they shouldn’t be in the field of helping others if they are going to judge them along the way. I hope everyone who reads this comment knows *most* dental offices are not like this.

@@aricarly sounds like your mom being a physician made you judgy in a different type of way when you mentioned "not poor".

Yes indeed 😮

Exactly this! Strong emotions, whether good or bad, always make me teary especially when I'm tired. It is so annoying to know that people will take you less serious when you show that you are human and have emotions

Love this comment 💙 tears represent passion when discussing human rights and injustice, which shouldn't be seen as a weakness

You are not alone.

i second this a thousand times

Also people suffer from metal health issues that affect how good they can regulate emotions. People that take you less seriously because you cry can go fuck themselves. Bipolar people or people with emotional instability personality disorder can‘t fucking control it. Btw. I’m saying this as somebody who himself has emotional instability personality disorder (also known as borderline, but people try to avoid that term nowadays) and I deadass had 2 occasions in my life where I started crying during meetings with my bosses, because my brain heard all their (totally valid) criticisms and interpreted them as „THEY HATE YOU. YOU SUCK. YOU WILL LOSE THIS JOB.“ We can‘t fucking control it. And people who don‘t get that and call us „sensitive snowflakes“ just don‘t know how much pain they cause us.

Yes, the shaving of your teeth for veneers is only understandable if you know you will have future possibility to change them. Veneers are not lifelong, they will need to be changed. Also with every change a part of your enamel will be removed, and it can add up when you start young. But life is unstable in general, and you can't know your financial situation in the future. Even going to a developing country might become too expensive. And especially for people who already can't afford their first veneers, and get them on a loan/credit.

@@Black.Spades as a student dentist, this is why I really prefer traditional braces to align teeth and get proper occlusion over something like veneers.

Ugh yes!!!! Drives me crazy.

My mom and I often talk about how it's wild that Canadian health care should include dental because dental is part of our oral health! Dental care feels like greedy money-grabbing field.

Is having clean teeth matter of having good health care? Do Canadians have observably better teeth than Americans? I actually think most Americans just don't do a diligent job of brushing their teeth thoroughly and regularly (at least twice a day). I believe that is the biggest issue. Good looking teeth are well kept teeth. I have good looking teeth myself and I've only ever had to use a good ol' toothbrush. I think it's a bad idea to install the premise that you need to pay to have fine looking teeth. I'm talking squarely on the superficial side of teeth of course.

Complete agree :( it males me sad

Right? Like, I absolutely cannot function without my glasses. They are 100% necessary, and yet they don’t count as healthcare?? Why? Luckily, I can afford glasses and checkups, but plenty of people can’t.

I had corrective lenses fitted to replace my own. Now I see perfectly - no contacts, no glasses. I am desert island proof.

@@stargazerbird dude i wish dbxn i have glaucoma and was told i can only get the eye surgery 3 times in my life and they will last a max of 5 years :,)

I think the same way, I wouldn't be able to see for very long 😅

I feel the same way, it has made me quite anxious

Yep, Im pretty sure I'd have to tie my glasses to my body and invent some kind of futuristic monocle for myself lol. I dont even want to think about it lol

Yeah, exactly. It's not like dental care is just a cosmetic thing. Bad dental hygiene can literally be bad for your heart.

It’s weird to me as well. It just doesn’t make sense. Also prescriptions aren’t free (I think they are free in scotland but not the rest of the UK- I’m in England). And meds are definitely necessary. Like I would literally be dead without my meds. But then medication while in hospital is free. It doesn’t make sense

I can't remember the exact details but apparently it was a compromise made to get funding for the NHS through parliament close to when it was set up

in the UK I am shocked by the poor access to dental care, I have more than 10 dentists at less than 1 mile from me, NONE of them take NHS patients, only private... I am lucky to have a private insurance from my work, and it does not cover dental care, looks like it's very common??

@@nikkiwilliamson4665 prescriptions are free in Wales too. This was confusing to me when I moved to England

Right? In Europe most people have braves only if it's necessary. And not a lot of people bleach their teeth either

@@h.7716 Yes, as a German, I find the typical US-American bright white smile a bit creepy-looking. If teeth are too white like it can only be accomplished by bleaching, it just doesn't look natural and the smile immediately looks more forced/fake to me. (Tbh, some of that probably stems from negative perceptions of US-Americans.)

Do you have to pay to get clean teeth though? My teeth look fine but I've never had anything done on them. Just regular old thorough brushing twice a day using medium toothbrushes.

@@Tessa_Gr right?? growing up I was never insecure of my teeth, I didn't even think of my them, but after starting to consume american media I started to see these creepy, perfect, unnaturally white teeth everywhere and it made me notice how "yellow" my teeth are. this fixation always reminds me of that episode in Friends where Ross bleaches his teeth too much and everyone is blinded by them

@@djgroopz4952 cleanings are luckily covered for me! This is the first time I’ve ever had dental insurance though. None of my policies have ever covered anything dental until this year. I’m at least happy about the cleanings.

Same! My mother has worked in the Dental Field since before I was born. Most dental offices have a “family day” or offer free cleanings to the family of those employed, at least once a year. If you need procedures done they obviously give a family discount. I didn’t grow up rich/privileged at all but now that I’m in my late 20’s I realize how lucky I was. I didn’t have health insurance but I always went to the dentist for cleanings every year and had braces 😅

I grew up poor and my teeth were always bad. My family is very unlucky with teeth and they're genetically very problematic. My tooth even fell out / broke off at the root a few weeks ago, and I'm only 21. My teeth are crooked. It's what I got genetically. They're crooked, and they hurt my lip and poke into it. I also have an overbite due to my jaw or something, and it causes me an awful amount of pain and headqches, as well as inability to open my mouth wide without cracking my jaw, and problems biting into anything, as well as making me very self conscious. I really wanted to have braces all my life, I begged my dad (they were divorced when I was about 3 and then they were distant, so he did have money, but he refused to spend it on me) and he said it doesn't matter that they're crooked, even though it causes me pain. Braces used to be partially covered by universal healthcare insurance in my country, but as soon as I turned 18 and gained the ability to make my own decisions, they stopped being covered by insurance, not even partially like before, and they're incredibly expensive. So even though I gained the ability to decide to get them, I don't have the finances for it. I got mocked for my teeth by other peers, always commented on how weird they are, that I have a weird fang and lower teeth, ever since I was a child. So now I avoid speaking or smiling when I'm with people and it makes me sad, but there's nothing I can do with the money I have, as I'm disabled and working is hard for me. My mom took me to the dentist like 5 times total, until I was 18 and we had to split. My teeth hurt, my gums are receding and the roots of my teeth show through my gums, a lot of my teeth is wobbly and kinda loose and I'm very scared of losing more teeth. I have a lot of cavities as well. Sh*t genetics. But anything that could help me is just sooo expensive. Insurance won't help here, because teeth is the biggest business in the medical industry, as literally every person alive needs dental care, unlike other specialists, where you only go with certain problems that aren't as common as dental problems. If that makes sense. If they covered it, even partially, they would lose so much money, because people need to get their teeth fixed for both health, pain, and cosmetics - which affects your social life, your work and if you're hired and respected, your love life and especially your self esteem. Cosmetic problems can affect your ability to live a normal life. For example a girl I know from group therapy has a genetic contidions where you don't grow any hair at all, and she needs to wear a wig so she doesn't get stared at or discriminated. But our insurance system considers that only a cosmetic problem, saying it won't affect your life! It absolutely affects all areas of your life, your mental health and self esteem leads to even physical problems. Just like teeth! Cosmetic problems can be extremely difficult! It's not about vanity, it's about wanting to be respected just like everyone else.

Same even though I didn't grow up super well off, my uncle was a dentist so we basically got our work done for free. Which for me didn't realize the huge expense dental care was until I needed to do a visit when I wasn't home/ needed my wisdom teeth taken out.

Yup, and I always feel bad that even though I had the privilege and opportunities to get good dental care (like braces) because I was never taught how to take care of my teeth and general hygiene issues because of mental health. As a result, my teeth became crooked again and I even had to get a root canal at 21 because of how compromised my tooth was from all the fillings. Now that I cant afford dental care, I cant help but hate myself for wasting my parents money and for all the issues I deal with now as a result, that I can't even fix because of the cost. Tldr: please take care of your teeth guys lol

my pops grew up in the 60s nd was one of the first black folks to be bussed to a primarily white school & the neighborhood he lived in had a mostly white folk so when my grandparents used to take him to the dentist (keep in mind this a white neighborhood) he’s told me stories abt how harsh they were w his mouth nd it got to the point where he hasn’t gone to the dentist until I had him talk to mine almost 60 yrs later

I still DONT see how America is the best country in the world when basic human rights to healthcare is costly.

That’s great! 💛

I have a bias towards scotland. I really like it there but I live in England and I want to move.

I dont know what I'm doing wrong but none of my dental care was covered by the NHS, they're always full and I'm always moving so there's no way for me to get covered ☹

My sister and I also got braces for free in our late teens. Thankfully, they're accessible for all tax brackets here

As an american every damn day I feel like I learn something that inspires me to move to the UK. I'm getting tired of this lack of accessible healthcare, and commercial advertisements telling us to ask our doctors for specific medications.

they scratched my teeth removing them and I'm still having problems from that

I’m doing that rn, sucks but I’m lucky

I guess this post is too late but extractions for crowding/braces is no longer the standard and actually causes problems. Now they do inter-tooth shaving instead which causes less harm.

Being poor in America is all about punishment. How dare we not be born to millionaires?! How dare we CHOOSE TO BE BORN POOR! WHY DONT WE JUST BUY MORE MONEY?

I also feel like american society has this weird paradox where the rich get richer and the poor stay poor yet we sell this idea that anyone can make it and it's just not the case and totally contradictory.

Literally tho. I find it to a very deflecting statement only to blame poor people for their suffering.

@@gabbyb9418 Britain is the epitome of this. It runs back centuries and the victorian era was obessed with this aswell. Literally sending homeless people to prison because they believed it was a sign of bad behaviour, it was a type of disease or something. Learning about it in our history lessons really got me emotional and thinking that the system hasn't changed as much, it's just gotten more delusional painting a picture of wealth asn prosperity for everyone.🙄 who is also tired of this bullshit?

@@sarahbarabe8470 it's a completely ignorant and very idealistic belief that countries like America and in many western countries (especially where I live in the UK) perpetuate.

@@Potidaon Still rocking the gap! While I sometimes wish my teeth were closer and more evenly sized, I think I'm too used to it to change anything. The look has definitely grown on me.

I have a gap between my Bottom front teeth, which is notnvery common. And I kind of felt really insecure about it until I became a fan of singer melanie martinez! She has a gap too, so it made me feel like we had something I'm common :)

Damm that girl was switched on. Rude but switched on. She already knew bad teeth hold you back.

i probably would've snapped if someone insulted me like that 💀

@@bellsssbooo Ugghhh, I did SUCH a bad job of standing up for myself back then!

Hey, same here with the buck teeth! I always wanted braces (we could never afford them), but now I realize that they are healthy and work fine, so there is no need to change them. I agree with your point of view.

I have a really big gap in my teeth (I can fit 10 playing cards in it) and I didn’t feel insecure about it until I got really into social media. It seemed like pretty girls never have gaps and if they do (the London look) it’s way smaller than mine. It didn’t bother me before because I have the same smile as my dad, but even he got new teeth. Now I think they make me look unique and cute paired with my dimples, but I always ask myself if I’ll think it’s cute forever. Like will people take me seriously as an adult with my silly smile?

Yes!!! I'm in your team. I think I don't want to "fix them"

@@KassandraQuiseng Just because we have gaps doesn’t mean our smile is “silly” or “unprofessional”! I understand your anxiety and completely sympathize! But other people’s perception of you does not equate to who you are, and if you take something serious an care about it a lot, that will come through. To anyone who doesn’t want to look beyond their assumed ideas about who you are, they just want to see you in their own way and not even your teeth could change that. And if it helps, I’ve been an adult for a handful of years myself and people find way more reasons not to take me seriously, they’ve never needed to rely on my goofy cute little grin 😁

I can fit a spatula in my gap