BTW people have pointed out the ads on this video, (as per usual) are selling many of the very things I’m criticizing hahaha I’m gonna see if I can block the “at home aligner” ads especially bc I no longer endorse those!! (Don’t miss my section on smiledirectclub)
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
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!
My kid goes to a Title I school, which means majority-poor. They all receive free dental check ups twice a year, which I think is a great program. Dentists actually come to the school and do it during the school day, so the parents don't have to take time off or find transportation. When problems are found, parents are also referred to assistance programs. Our state health department has a large oral health program because they've realized how it affects overall health. The students also all get free fluoride varnishes.
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".
Also, those dentists who complain about their patients not taking care of their teeth forget about how hard food deserts can make it for people to buy healthy foods that will in turn, keep their teeth healthy. 🙄
@@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.
People also forget/ignore that not everyone grew up with parents who encouraged them to take care of their teeth- either due to neglectful/abusive parents, parents with mental health issues, not being able to afford dental care, or simply just not having the education on why it's so important. As a kid, I never visited a dentist once, and I didn't understand the importance of taking care of my oral health (combine that with mental health and sensory issues from a young age, and it isn't good). As a result, I've got pretty fucked up teeth- they aren't damaged beyond repair, but they definitely have some bad damage that could have been avoided had I say, grown up with the money to afford dental care, or with parents who had the time and were mentally well enough to help me. I'm sure I'm not the only one in a similar situation either?
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.
coming from someone who still has crooked teeth because my mother can’t afford to get me braces, this video means a lot to me. i’m really glad that i’m not the only one who thinks so. i’ve kept the fact that my smile is one of my insecurities to myself for a long time because it’s easy for someone who can afford braces, or have never needed them, to just be like “hAvE yOu tRiEd cOnSiDeRiNg bRacEs??” like yes lol. i have. you got the $1500 down payment luv ?
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
Wait until you learn about hearing aids. I lost the majority of my hearing and they told me insurance won’t cover hearing aids because the are seen as a “cosmetic luxury”. My hearing aids cost $5000 and they only are good for 7-8 years.
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.
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.
Me, living in Germany, having always assumed that dental care IS health care pretty much everywhere... realizing that is not the case is shocking and horrifying. Here standard procedures and regular checkups are free. If one wants a 'pretty' filling one does need to pay extra on top, but it is seldom very expensive. And some more expensive procedures are also only partially covered but mostly affordable.
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.
I worked at a dental college in the midwest and the lack of empathy towards lower-income patients and even minority patients starts even before they get into dental school. A lot of dental students come from families who are dentists so they grow up extremely privileged. We had to do programming for our classes that had activities where students role-played living as a patient on social services just so they could learn the barriers that a lot of dental patients experience when they're on Medicaid to empathize better with their patients.
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?
Hey! Newly graduated dentist here. Really enjoyed this video and you made so many great points. Something I like to suggest for those who feel like going to the dentist and taking care of their teeth is too expensive is to try and find a dental school in your state/area to be seen. Dental schools are often significantly less expensive than going to a private office, they tend to accept Medicaid, and the quality of work you receive is still very very good if not better because everything is double triple checked by supervising dentists. I know not everyone lives near a dental school, but it’s still a really good option that a lot of people maybe don’t think about off the bat. It’s obviously not ideal since treatment takes longer, but it’s always something I try to bring up now to people who tell me they can’t afford to take care of their oral health.
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.
For the UK comparison - important to note that Scotland has a separate NHS system that provides free dental check up appointments! I didn’t realise this when I moved to Scotland last year, and so it was a very welcome surprise :)
Really loved this video! I grew up privileged to not even realize the scope of what a luxury health care/dental care was (my mom worked in health insurance growing up) and it wasn’t until I met my husband when I was 20 and he talked about how he needed braces his whole life but his parents never had dental insurance so now as an adult he’s having to deal with teeth issues and I remember my mind was so blown and now knowing the depths of it all especially having to pay for my own insurance now and just all of that. It’s just really sad and definitely needs to change.
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
As a nurse, I’ve taken care of several ppl that have had abscesses that have stopped their hearts, caused them to have parts of their lungs removed as well as effect their brain. It’s sad and devastating the state of Healthcare in America.
Does anyone remember that the twist of the plot of a crime show was a rich white lady had invisalign and the detective was basically like " if you were born rich, you would have had braces as a kid, not as an adult so you're guilty"
as a son of dentists, I know for a fact that veneers are the worst. Like, yeah, they might look presentable BUT THE ROTTENESS UNDERNEATH THEM is beyond this world, AND not to mention the fact that you have to change them every few years which only guarantees a consistent income to dentists. Just ask yourself why they'd never get them!
I've had three veneers for 30+ years. They are there to cover damaged teeth from falls during childhood. The teeth underneath are not rotten, but broken or chipped.
@@leanndurnan7903 The teeth filed down are for caps. Veneers are placed on the front only of existing teeth. The rough up the surface so they will adhere. I pray they last because I certainly can’t afford new ones.
The Netherlands, where I live, has its flaws, many of them in fact. But goodness gracious I am so damn thankful that I've never had to worry wether or not I would go bankrupt because of a dentist appointment. It's a true privilege I think
Honestly as a European sometimes I forget how horrifying the situation in the USA is. Also the American standard of beauty for teeth is weird (those veneers look SO creepy), I think that at least here in Italy where I'm from we're used to more "natural" and even almost imperfect looking teeth
@@giuliadesai Same here in the Netherlands, thankfully. You rarely see people walking around with teeth that could literally blind someone. Not to criticize anyone who decides on cosmetic procedures, but I am definitely thankful the standard isn't as unrealistic as it seems to be in the US.
When Tiffany was talking about the societal assumptions of having bad teeth I got flashbacks to my health classes where a huge part of drug abuse prevention was showing us pictures of what certain drugs would do to your teeth. I remember hearing kids talk about how they would never consider doing certain drugs specifically because of how it made their teeth look.
This is such a good point especially the way a lot of media makes having nice, straight, white teeth seem completely up to good hygiene or genetics, when it often can come down to money. Teeth is one of those factors of appearance that people take way too seriously and use as an excuse to treat people badly
I’m below the poverty line, had an eating disorder, and because of this I had to have 5 adult teeth extracted by age 24 because they were too far gone. I have about 5 more that are in pain and need root canals or to be pulled. The infection can be dangerous, so if you can’t afford thousands of dollars of work…Medicaid will cover to pull them. It’s so sad because I grew up with caring parents who took me to the dentist and paid for braces, and loved my smile. It makes me feel gross and irresponsible that I can’t address my teeth as an adult. I scrambled together a little over a grand to fix one in the front, but I’m sure I’ll have partial dentures before 30. It’s an awful feeling. Having to find a casual way to tell someone you’re dating that you have like 4 molars total is not fun. I always feel the need to be explain the missing teeth are “temporary”… knowing I don’t know that. The emotional and physical pain keeps me up many nights. Things need to change.
I follow @softscorpio on tiktok. she is a 23(?) year old woman who just got a full set of dentures because of teeth problems (she’s an ex addict). you might really like her content!!
I’m in the same exact boat. Missing multiple teeth and need more fixed but Medicaid will only pull them. I had decent dental care growing up but I always had cavities and now that I’m an adult I realize that genetics played a huge factor in why my teeth are so bad now when I took pretty regular care of them. Pregnancy destroyed them even more. Then every time I go to the dentist I get shamed with them saying I eat too much sugar or I need to brush my teeth more- like it’s way past that point and it’s not helping me to shame me when I can’t even afford the treatment!
If you have an awesome boyfriend with a good sense of humor, he properly thinks you are bad ass for fighting and winning that fight against the eating disorder and wants to see your battle scars. He would think you are grand champion. 😎😘🥰I have a big scar on my back and I had told people "Oh I had a knife fight with a neoplasm. Clearly, I won!" 😂🤣 I hope things change too. Life is already difficult as it is without society making it more difficult.
The 'veneers'/'turkey teeth' trend is really so depressing. Fillers can be dissolved but messing up your teeth is for life, and these people going abroad to have their perfectly healthy teeth shaved down to pegs for a cheep teeth job are going to have dentures by the time they're 40
I agree. I don't think the repercussions and long-term consequences of having shaved down teeth to fit veneers is discussed enough. Even filler can have unintended effects such as "traveling" and dispersing through the patient's face. If you have the time, Dr. Chan speaks on why he doesn't provide this service anymore, and this changed my outlook on potentially getting fillers in the future. ruclips.net/video/8kg16UM3YnE/видео.html
The unpopular opinion from a Russian girl: American whitening looks extremely unnatural, creepy and uncanny. As an artist, I can easily recognise the white teeth of a puppy, when the pure white color of it still has some natural slight warm yellow greyish shade, while American teeth whitening has a colder shade which reminds me of a toilet cold blue white shade, which creates this uncanny fake creepy effect. Also, naturaly white teeth aren`t supposed to be so white that it looks like they are almost glowing. I understand why these people want to fix their teeth, but dentists make these teeth look too perfect, ruining the natural healthy effect of slight imperfections (dunno how to explain it), and this makes influencers look like they have long horse teeth or smth I wonder if Tiffany has veneers since her teeth look gorgeous, they are naturally white with subtle greyish tone ( still gorgeous I am just an artist, sorry).
Im an Australian and American White can look pretty creepy for me too. Its like they cross into the uncanny valley. Too close to what real teeth look like without actually looking real
Even when you have the privilege of dental care, there are still different levels between dentist offices (in the US at least). I remember when I was younger, my family lost insurance coverage for the “nice” dentists’ office and we had to switch to this sketchier office that would “diagnose a cavity” every time we went in which was super unaffordable. Eventually we were able to go back to the other dentist and what do you know? No cavities. How strange.
A place tried charging me 4K for a tooth implant for a gap I had then additional braces 2k, when another place I went to was going to charge me 3k alone for the braces to close that same gap and straighten the rest of my teeth. It’s crazy how much they can get away with
SAME EXACT THING happened to me. It made me develop a deep fear and distrust of dentists for a long time, causing me to stop going for 6+ years. When I finally got enough money to pay for a good dentist (100% out of pocket) I cried and broke down in the office when I saw just the first bill. Luckily that dentist saved me and restored my faith in dentists and made me realize there are truly great ones out there who are so passionate about what they do and helping people (rather than the classic bait and switch "Drill, fill, and bill" mentality of most other dentists. The good ones are out there- they're just incredibly hard to find and usually cost more, proving the point of this video. It's a shame, but a reality.
@Amanda Leon oh no you're describing me 100% and I'm definitely worried about this. I haven't been to the dentist since I was a child, so idrk what condition my teeth are in. I also can't afford better healthcare. I hope I meet a good dentist that doesn't try to trick me.
I have always been consious about my teeth, even being picked on and commented saying that I need braces but I can never afford them. As currently a 20 year old, it makes me happy to see a video like this. Thank you so much.
This video on dental issues was as comprehensive as it gets. Thank you for your research. Basic dental treatment in Japan is part of their universal health care and this includes crowns. I am a 65YO woman who just had a complete set of veneers a year ago. I have small teeth, a 1mm gap between two front teeth, and yellowing at my age. I never cared about my other facial features showing my age but I have always been conscious of my teeth, so at 65, I finally got veneers. I now smile without getting conscious even though they are whiter than they should be and I'm also ok with it. I don't care about luxury cars, brand-name clothes, and accessories, or coloring my hair, but the appearance of my teeth has always been of utmost importance so I feel you.
I'm a first year dental student and president of my class. I shared this video with my class because it's so important to remember why we're here and what our purpose is. We get lectured to about health care disparities all the time, but you're showing the impact of these issues in a very real and effective way. I thank you for that.
I have medicaid, i also have dental anxiety, watching this video and learning about MY privilege being on medicaid and having access to dental services really humbled and strangely calmed me. I will remember this privilege when going in for an appointment and use it to sooth my anxiety and appreciate the sweet people providing their services to me.
I am so glad you're discussing this !!!! As a kid, I was bullied for having misshapen front teeth. My mom couldn't afford to fix my teeth. I developed deep insecurity about my teeth where I rarely smiled or laughed due to fear of being bullied. As an adult now, I still can't afford to fix them so I decided to kinda accept them as they are. I look up to model Gabrielle Richardson who has similar teeth like mines, which makes me feel less insecure about them.
i’m currently 14 and i never smile with my teeth becuase i hate how my two front ones look, they are too close together and not straight and i feel like they make me so ugly
@@karkat4493 when I was your age I thought the same about my teeth till I realized in other cultures having "imperfect" teeth does not mean ugliness. American beauty standards are strange and very unrealistic. If all teeth were meant to straight and pearly white, then we all would have them. I personally believe teeth are meant to be unique to match a person's personality . Btw you are not ugly, there tons of runway models with imperfect teeth that are absolutely gorgeous.
My mother commented on how yellow my teeth were my entire childhood, so while I've never felt I could afford them I've always wanted veneers, waaaay before social was a thing.
My mom was neglectful so I never actually learned how to care for my teeth. So then of course as I got older she would make fun of me for my teeth. And I’d also have dentists judge me for not taking care of my teeth. And it’s like now that I’m older and my teeth are PERMANENTLY screwed, if I try to talk about this people are like “why are you blaming your mom, you’re an adult now just take care of your teeth”. As if I didn’t have two root canals as a teenager with one tooth ending up needing to be pulled. It’s so stupid that some of us have nothing wrong with our teeth and then we get older we’re shamed for it
@@McSnezzly dude, I'm so sorry. My mom was also neglectful. As an adult I confronted her about it and she said she figured I'd figure it out eventually. Luckily we were upper-middle class so I did get regular dentist appointments and I lived in an area with water that was fluoridated and all that so as a kid my teeth were in "okayish" shape.
I had this video in my watch later folder because when it first came out I had some dental issues including cosmetic issues that I could not afford to address. I was bullied as a child/teenager about my teeth and finally in my 30s-40s got them fixed. I loved to smile for the first time. Now at 71 I’m finally addressing some things because I got into our dental school and I am cautiously optimistic now. Dental care is healthcare.
I have always had somewhat yellow teeth as a kid and now as an adult. I always brush my teeth twice a day, but they stay the same color. I floss, mouthwash, and even brush after a super acidic meal. I remember one time I got into an argument with a "friend" that wasn't respecting a boundary I had set. So it ended in me slapping him. I guess he was still angry cause when we were on the bus home from school he made a comment saying my teeth were as yellow as my friends dyed hair. It stung because my mom only made $800 a month and it was either a roof over my head or going to the dentist. I'm still struggling to be able to afford any kind of dental care at the age of 24. It's rough and it sucks that that's the first thing people look at when you meet them, and then judge you if they're anything but white.
yeah same my teeth are yellow even though I take care of them my cousins are like that as well and her mother tells her not to smile with her teeth so 😃
Ironically naturally yellower teeth could be a sign that you actually have stronger enamel and are less prone to cavities. My husband's teeth have a yellowish cast but he rarely if ever has had dental problems because his enamel is so good at protecting his teeth.
@@rochellerodriguez6431 I didn’t know this but honestly that makes a lot of sense & is honestly kinda a relief 😅. My teeth have always been kinda yellow & it’s always been something I’ve been soooo insecure about but I’m also never had a cavity or needed any other major dental work. It seemed like it didn’t make sense how my teeth could look so gross (to me, and based on the perceptions of what “nice” teeth are by the public) and yet even as a kid I noticed & was grateful that my teeth required a lot less work than my peers
same, my teeth have always always been yellower and super crooked but i’ve never had a cavity and the only dental issue ive ever had is my wisdom teeth needing to come out. but i can’t stand my smile, even if people tell me i have a lovely happy smile 😔
those veneer pegs are terrifying. I got a crown because I had a cracked molar (that I lived with for years because I was too scared to go to the dentist out of fear of how much it would cost) and yeah that was shaved down, but that was because my tooth was already majorly damaged, due to having fillings that cracked my teeth over time
same. i had crooked teeth and got them fixed partially for cosmetics but also for making sure i didn't break them with a badly timed chomp (i have a really powerful bite and broke some of my baby teeth like that in the past no jok. part of my care involved removing 4 of my teeth due to the fact that my jaw is small and i had too many teeth in my mouth at their size. at the time i was worried because i thought i'd lose some important teeth but my dentist told me that he chose my primary canines instead of my front or back teeth as they're used the least. so at least i had a medical reason for it. but doing that ONLY for cosmetics is insane to me.
I've never thought much about my teeth, and I realize that's a huge privilege. My teeth have always been naturally straight, so I never had to worry about that. Still, I do remember a few years ago I had a spate of cavities when I was in grad school that nearly brought my bank account down to zero. Dental care is health care, and health care should be a right, period.
I was born without enamel which makes my teeth look super yellow and feel super weak all the time. I’ve always had cavities and teeth issues no matter how well I take care of my teeth. I remember being 13 and learning about veneers and realizing that I was never going to be able to do that. As a kid I had Aetna which meant that I had a dentist, but the coverage was so minimal and all cosmetic dentistry is out of pocket. Having dental coverage or the ability to do any form of cosmetic dentistry is such a privilege. My teeth will never look as good as I wish they did but I don’t deserve to be shamed (by myself or others) for that.
Ooh also to add let’s add in the fact that I’m Autistic and have a hard time with executive functioning as well as sensory issues which makes doing the simple “just brush your teeth twice a day” feel like a daunting task. Has been this way since I was a kid.
it also really bothers me when teens make jokes about how their retainers don’t fit anymore because they just decided not to wear them. my parents spent a lot of money on my braces, and i acknowledge that and understand how important it is that i don’t let that money go to waste.
In the UK it depends, child dental care is free and braces are free for “non-cosmetic” circumstances. However, sometimes waiting lists can be really long to get dental work I have braces for free currently and definitely very thankful for it
I live in Scotland and on Scot NHS, my check-ups, X-rays and cleanings are free. That is also free for those who don't know about the NHS. If I don't have any cavities or anything that needs to be taken care of, my dentist appointment is 100% free.
the concept of getting veneers on ALL of your teeth scares the shit out of me. how can you be so sure you're going to have funds to take care of them for the rest of your life?!
Medicaid is so weird because it completely covered my braces, BUT it wouldn't cover the specific wisdom teeth removal I need. I have x-rays and pictures of my nerves that show WITHOUT QUESTION that if my wisdom teeth are removed normally I WILL lose sensation in my jaw and lips, and also that if they grow in, that's going to completely f up the rest of my teeth. Just literally the worst placement of wisdom teeth. And I was denied even after an appeal. Which means I wasted 300 bucks (when I was still a broke college student) for the x-rays etc because they said I had a really good chance of getting it covered if I could show my situation. A waste because I'm not spending like 3k on my wisdom teeth. What's the point of insurance if it won't cover the necessary health operation, but it will without question cover my cosmetic 3 year long orthodontic care.
@@JulietteKernDiamond I'm in NYC. It was also covered only until I turned 21, so it was kinda a rush to start it or it would've been completely out of pocket. Thankfully even though I turned 21 before it was finished, it continued to be covered
Feel this deeply. Combination of poverty and mental illness has left my teeth in real bad shape. I was 7 years old myself when I had my first abscessed tooth, and I had no idea it could be fatal so easily.
I'm from the UK and despite having the NHS here, most people do not have access to NHS dentists outside of large cities and therefore have to pay for private dental care. I am currently recovering from bulimia and when it was at its worst I had a lot of dental issues. I had frequent infections and one time had to wait a whole month, with the infection, before receiving NHS treatment, as I couldn't afford to go private. Then when I had to have my wisdom teeth removed due to them being impacted and causing a lot of pain, I had to wait 6 months before getting two out, then another six months before getting the next two out. Both times I experienced what is called dry socket which is extremely painful, and I wasn't given any pain meds or support post-op.
Yeah there's a huge issue with not enough NHS dentists. Kids provision is a bit better since a lot of private dentists do NHS kids but once you age out there's so few NHS dentists in more rural areas. Our town has this problem so I was travelling a fair way to find an NHS dentist for myself as an adult.
@@jeanettemullins dang thats a huge problem that needs to be fixed. i hope they can get more accessible dental care asap. im very grateful to be one of the few people here in the us with good health insurance so i dont have to pay as much for dental care but a lot of people have to pay full price which can add up to thousands of dollars… hopefully here in america there can be a free public option for healthcare soon even if there are issues with it like accessibility and wait times
Here in Finland dentist and orthodontist services are free for everyone under the age of 18! I wish it was free for everyone, but at least it makes the most sense being free for minors since that's when wearing braces/retainers/straightening care is most beneficial. From the ages of 7 to 15 I had about 7 different teeth-straightening things in my mouth, and so did most of my friends - in fact it was harder to find a kid our age that had never had any kinds of braces :)
I'm from Canada and I got Invisalign many years ago when I was a teenager. I don't come from a wealthy household. In fact, we had lots of "skinny money days". My mom could only afford it because the orthodontist allowed us to make small payments over time. It took quite a while to pay it off fully. Having straight teeth has not only boosted my confidence (I was often bullied for how crooked my teeth were) and made brushing and flossing it easier. Now I barely get cavities.
Thank you for this expose. It is helpful to learn that teeth that may not be pretty might be healthy and pretty teeth might not be healthy. Dental work is a daunting prospect for health. Some folks in the chronically ill lyme disease community people get a lot of dental work to try to heal; there are many stories of how many dentists butcher the patients' mouth. All traditional dentists know how to do is extractions , drill and fill and without any clue about testing the oral microbiome for pathogens. If there is an overgrowth of pathogens in that person and the mouth they make healing difficult or can compromise the patient after surgery. Dentists don't know how to effectively clean root canals after extraction and so people get infected after surgery.. a nightmare.
I am in school for Dental Assistant and this opens my eyes a little more. I do plan on reading that book at some point and educate myself a little more. I mean I know our Healthcare system in America is bad but this is just heartbreaking. This video shines a light in a very dark place.
I work in an area that has RAM services. People not only drive for hours to get there, they line up for it super early to try and get in. So much so that they end up doing a “lottery system” for dental work and I’ve even heard if you do “win” that lottery, you can only have a section of your mouth worked on at a time due to time constraints and wanting to help more people.
I've had 'bad teeth' since I was 7 because I have enamel hypoplasia and an underdeveloped jaw and I remembered thinking I would never get into an interview, never get a job, never be with anyone, because of my teeth. I'm past that now of course but I still feel very uncomfortable without my mask on in public
I love this video! First, I am the same age as you (25 almost 26) and have been following you since middle school with McKenna and I love you. Anyways, I am going back to school for Dental Hygiene at my local community college and I am currently taking Sociology for a prerequisite, and I shared this video in our forum about the chapter about health and inequality. I hope as a dental hygienist I can help others with their health and make people feel secure about the look of their teeth. I hope I can help change things in the system instead of perpetuate problems. I am pursuing this career because I love helping others and I hope I can do this in the fairest way possible. Dental health has been a big part of my life as well, I am going to need periodontics surgery in March which will cost a lot out of pocket in addition to paying for school, which thankfully is quite affordable at my community college... I am not taking out any loans. Thanks for making such high quality video about important topics. - Mary
thank you so much for this video Tiffany, as a working class person living in the UK, I'm so glad that you highlighted the limitations of our current NHS system- while I'm thankful that I have fairly good teeth and have been able to access and afford a dentist that helped fill my tooth crack that developed as a result of me grinding my teeth during sleep (due to stress), I know that many others just aren't as fortunate through no fault of their own and it's unfair that people have had to live in pain or even die from something as simple as a tooth infection
Grav3yard Girl actually helped me accept my crooked teeth, she mentioned in one video she really loved her crooked teeth. And I too love my crooked tooth! I remember my mom saying that I could always get braces when I'm 40 if I really want them straight, mostly because yeah, we couldn't afford that. For all other body problems I have, at least this is not one of them!
When I was poor and a kid/teen, I didn’t brush my teeth because I had no idea how important it was, no one really made me brush my teeth. I’m still getting dental treatments now. BUT when I did go to the dentist as a teenager, I had insurance for low incomes & instead of giving me a root canal or anything else, your only option is to pull your teeth. There is no other option because you’re poor so now I have two teeth missing because I had no idea you could do anything else back then. (Edit: I was on WellCare’s Medicaid! I’m still on it but now I’m on another better dental insurance as well- BUT I still have to put my dental bills on a credit card with my mom’s help to afford root canal’s & crown’s. The closest place I could find that accepted dental care was an hour away.)
I hate my teeth even though I am a dental assistant. They are probs A5 shade cos i smoke and love coffee. My teeth are perfect thank you for reminding me. I feel proud now thank you xx
People need to realize why many people are paying attention to their teeth,hair,nails,body,lips, and overall looks more in this day of age which is because of social media and it’s unrealistic standards.
I grew up in a poor rural area in the southeastern US, I remember having to take a 3 hour car ride to the dentist office, of course not for preventative care, only when I had three teeth so far gone they had to be pulled. Now I've moved into my boyfriend's hometown (he grew up lower middle class) and I've counted about 5 dentists offices here ... weird, huh ?
Teeth pulling. The dentist's "kind" option for the poor. I think it's sad that we have these amazing innovations like rapid cure resins for teeth, but the price has never decreased with time and availability. I wish the material available to DIY it like I can pop my own zits and color my own hair, tattoo my own body, and pierce my own ears. 😆🤣 but like I can't afford to fix the teeth my parents neglect ruined.
My wealthy grandparents paid for my braces as a kid. I had them taken off when I was 18 because I couldn't keep paying for them and most of the serious dental issues were already fixed and adressed. My retainer broke after the first few weeks of getting them and i have a big gap in the front of my teeth where it broke. I had to get the braces because i had huge, problematic gaps and overcrowding and my teeth were too large for my mouth, i had many removed as well before getting braces. It was 5 years of a lot of issues and I still have issues from it but now i can't afford the problems it still causes me
I agree with everything in this video with one caveat. I do think that Invisalign/braces should be seen as essential health care too. My teeth being crooked/my misaligned bite have been a major contributor to my dental issues: my teeth have chipped away to a horrifying degree over the years because of the way my teeth connect, I have gotten cavities from crowding preventing adequate flossing, and even my breathing has been affected because my teeth prevent proper tongue placement in the mouth which makes it harder to breathe through my nose. I live in Canada and I was lucky enough to get dental checkups every year and had fillings/removals done when I needed them because my mom has insurance, but she also was a single parent and worked at Walmart so straightening my teeth was out of the question and now I’m paying for it as an adult. I had a tooth pulled as a preteen because it was so out of alignment that it was damaging my jaw, and insurance covered the removal but not the straightening to save it, and now my teeth on that side of my mouth have migrated and are all over the place which means when I can afford to straighten them it will be more expensive, costly, and harder to maintain for the rest of my life :(
I have a naturally very "big" smile, some overbite and a few crooked teeth that are barely visible. Got complimented on my smile by teachers as a kid, I'd just smile at everyone when I had nothing to say. There was some pressure for me to get braces but I actively refused, saying "My body, my choice" when I was 12. Parents were glad, since we didn't have much money anyways. Never wanted any to not lose my unique smile and risk looking "fake". Plus I just didn't want the looks or hassle of them like a typical teen. Thought some kids looked so different after braces. 10 years later I don't regret a thing, did get one tooth pulled to avoid crowding but that's it. I've grown into my teeth and it looks super natural on me imo.
At 26:04, the text mentions Dickenson and Lee counties in VA. That is my neck of the woods and let me tell you, it is nothing to have to wait 3-4 months to see a dentist. Almost everyone, even wealthy people in my area, have problems with their teeth. Not to mention half of the population has well water, thus no fluoridated water.
Can we talk about how even the people who end up getting braces can sometimes not afford to get them removed 😭😭 so end up buying the tool itself and removing braces themselves!! Ugh
i grew up poor as hell. my parents didnt enforce me actually brushing my teeth or flossing so i didnt start doing that regularly until i was in middle school or high school, when i was self aware enough to know i needed to be doing that and had the discipline to hold myself to it. that's part of why even at 23 i still struggle really badly with my dental care. if im going somewhere that day, i can almost always get myself to brush my teeth in the morning and sometimes floss too. but if im not, i just feel like i cant. part of this is having major depressive disorder, another part is me having fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. the desire is there, but the energy isnt. i know i need to just stop making excuses but god damn it genuinely is that hard for me to bring myself to do it. i've been very lucky to have an incredibly kind dentist, orthodontist, and endodontist (i had to get my first root canal this past year) who are super understanding and nonjudgemental, but my dentist is retiring here soon and im really worried about who im gonna end up seeing after that. i've had the same dentist my entire life. the older i get, the more aware i become of the fact that you only get one set of teeth and damage cant just be reversed easily, if at all. i gotta start taking care of myself more *sigh*
Thank you for making this video! It is a very complex and important issue. I've personally went through a lot of these things you've spoke of. Growing up, my parents were of working class, and we were (and still are) part of a marginalized community.. My sister and I didn't get to go to the dentist much growing up, as our parents rarely had dental insurance. And to add to the issues, I struggled with eating disorders since I was 12 (and am now in my 30s), which made my teeth even more sensitive and painful.. As an adult, I worked many jobs that had no health insurance (let alone dental or vision)..and even once I did, the system is so flawed and expensive. I'm still dealing with a ton of pain and discomfort, as well as the fear of being judged by others. And you're correct, some dentists can absolutely cause anxiety for patients, as some treat certain patients as if they're "less than" or they act as if everyone who has serious dental issues must be lazy/stupid/trashy/on drugs/etc.. I've had experiences that caused me great anxiety, when a dentist treated me like a piece of trash, because of some of the issues I've had. Dental care IS healthcare! It is absolutely essential, and these most basic of health services should be available to all! And also, as someone who lives in a conservative state (Ohio), there is absolutely prejudices and hurtful behaviors from the dentists here, *especially if you're "poor" and/or on Medicaid/Medicare* (if you can even find one in your area who accepts Medicaid). Thank you so much for this!
Tiffany, this video is so amazing! Thank you so much for making it. I'm from Brazil and here we have a universal health care system that includes oral care. The problem here is public funding, and corruption that makes many of it not arrive to the right destination. So because of this it can take many months to get an appointment. But we have it! And there is emergency oral care too, although not so easy to get. I can just imagine how it can be difficult there in US, without even what we have here in Brazil. Once again, thank you for your work.
Also while watching this I totally forgot that I’m literally weighing the pros and cons of replacing my plastic retainers that cracked after 1 month with $500 metal retainers, all while my rent is 50% of my paycheck 🥰
My family and I always get our dentistry work done in Mexico when we’re visiting our family. It was such a shock to go to the dentist last year in the US because we couldn’t travel due to the panini, it’s SO INSANELY EXPENSIVE. Even with the cost of a round trip flight and hotels, dental procedures are wayyyyy cheaper to do in Mexico. I had surgery on my gums for literally $12 in Mexico, it would’ve been thousands in the US, and that was at a private clinic.
I was the only senior in my high school with braces, and I still got to have braces much earlier than many other people who come from low-income homes. I was lucky that my parents' financial situation improved when I was in my teens, and they were able to scrounge together money for my braces.
I haven’t watched the full video yet but health tourism is such a big thing here in turkey, especially where i live is that I’m planing on becoming a dentist because i plan to make money of tourists that come here to get their teeth fixed cheaper
Its fucked up how people care about the appearance of their teeth over the health of it. Not only that but it puts other important care on the backburner, such as eye care and ear care.
So I has la dépressione and that makes it very, very hard to regularly brush teeth. Looking in mirror + regular schedule + takes energy + no immediate reward for actions = omg that's difficult. I am better about it, but it's still hard and my teeth are (pretty much permanently) discoloured. Lots of comments. London teenagers are nasty fam
Yeah, same...I live in a country where basic dental is free but the type of fixing I need isn't and even tho I could eventually afford it, I'm just really really bad at keeping up with my schedule and my depression makes it nearly impossible to brush my teeth regularly and since I'm bipolar, I tend to forget about basic hygiene when I'm manic. Not to mention I often cope by smoking, drinking and having a shit ton of coffee. I really try to maintain myself and take care of my teeth but it's just really hard and because I don't have any "visible" or "rational" reason for NOT going to the dentist (for example a financial reason), people just assume I'm dirty and disgusting and that I don't care about how I look at all and it really does in turn affect my mental health because I'm constantly thinking about people judging me .....ya know, it's a struggle and I am glad people are starting to talk more about the ugly "disgusting" parts of having mental health problems so that we can all at least find some comfort in not being alone
I often get comments along the lines of "why do you have braces at 23?" It really just highlights how people who grew up in higher income households don't even have to consider the financial obstacles other people can face when it comes to getting dental care.
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.
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:((.
@@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.
Honestly pisses me off when my USA dentist points out my “yellow” teeth. He’ll say “you have a beautiful smile, but you need to start using a whitening kit! Everything looks good but the color” every single time I see him. When I go back to the Philippines my dentist always compliments my “white” teeth and says not to change anything but in America they’re not white enough😂 like if I don’t have gum disease, cavities, and my breath doesn’t stink then why does it matter?
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.
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.
Also why is eye care not healthcare!? I would love another episode on vision care. I'm an epidemiology student focusing in health care access. Great video!
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.
It’s a bit weird that out of all the things we choose to fixate on, we choose our skull extensions and we’re like make those chompers downright reflective. 😬
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.
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:(
I haven’t been to a dentist in years after being told I had “meth mouth” after suffering from an eating disorder and growing up in poverty.. I put off watching this video because I knew it would hurt but it was so well done. kudos
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.
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.
I live in Sweden and here dental is free up until you are 21, most kids get bracers for free here. I had bracers and dental surgery for free until I was 21. Most adults don't go to a dentist as often since it's quite expensive but during the later years some things have changed to make dental be part of healthcare so that that doing check-ups costs less and there is a roof of how much dental can cost you (so if you need to get crowns or bigger things it's still a capped expense). But it's still not free as our other healthcare is (well atleast almost, our healthcare comes with a small fee, so it's not free-free, it's at a very low cost, like $20).
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 😭
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...
This is such a sensitive topic for me. I haven’t had dental care literally in years, and I need restorative work done. I’d love to have an “imperfect” smile at this point because it would be 100% better than the condition my teeth are in now. I finally have health insurance again and I’m dreading going to the dentist. Some wouldn’t understand, but there’s so much shame and embarrassment involved when your teeth get bad. Unfortunately not even all the people working in dentistry know that..I still remember how I felt over a little joke that a tech made years ago during an appointment. So I’ll be looking for a provider that takes my Medicaid and trying to get past the anxiety and knowing that it will take a small fortune to fix my teeth.
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 ❤
I am so fucking scared to go to the dentist. Im scared theyre going to tell me ill have to get dentures. There are two in the back that are cracked. One has been cracked in half for three years. Its caused the surrounding teeth to get cavities. I havent had insurance until recently and now that i do have it i dont even want to go. All my front teeth have cavities too.
I was bullied hardcore and isolated from the age of 11 all the way until I was 18 for having crooked teeth because I grew up with a single mom and we were in poverty. I am now still paying off my braces, and I can tell u right away people have been drastically much kinder to me now that my teeth are straight. I've gotten more opportunities, and suddenly a lot more people would like to be my friend. It really is so disturbing.
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.
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.
Honestly Invisalign is more worth it anyways because it is a longer process, but natural looking teeth look so much better than fake veneers. I have Invisalign and in my opinion veneers only look good if your whole face is already surgically altered, because if not they look almost too perfect for a normal, non altered face.
In most country's $1000 to fix a tooth seems about right. In Canada we have health care. But dental is not covered if your an adult. ( glasses are not covered at any age). But if you need a root canal, $1000 is standard. When I was 17, 20 years ago, it was $4k to get all my wisdom teeth out. I had all of them impacted. So I had to be put to sleep.
@@two_another yes!!! my cousin got invisalign about a year before she got married, and the aligners had whitening product in them which was so fascinating to me. she had braces as a kid but almost never wore her retainer once they were off. they looked so beautiful when she finished but i could never see her as someone with artificially white teeth lol.
As an aspiring dentist I really appreciate you discussing this topic. I’ve never fully educated myself about the barriers to dental care. This is really eye opening and I’ll carry this knowledge with me if I ever make it to dental school :)
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.
Something little-known about dental hygiene and care: The more untreated cavities, missing teeth etc. a person has, the more at risk a person is of dementia and heart disease. Private health is fucking vile.
dreams about your teeth falling out are supposed to mean you’re having anxiety around your financial situation which actually makes so much sense with this video lol
I remember feeling SO GUILTY as a child whenever I’d get a cavity because we didn’t have dental insurance. Nothing hurt more than being told I just charged my parents hundreds of dollars for “not brushing my teeth” :((
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.
My mother was a Mexican immigrant, she legalized me when I was 8 and then she did the same around her mid 30s. I remember her telling me brush your teeth, don't eat a whole lot sugar because we don't have insurance. When we got Medicare we were always got turned down. It wasn't until I was 17 I got my braces. We both cried and celebrated it because we were finally able to afford and obtain a good insurance. This video hitted home so much, God Bless you ❤
This is such an interesting topic. I had horrible teeth growing up and would not have been able to get braces because my mom was a single mom and simply couldn’t afford them. Luckily, my grandparents helped contribute, which is a privilege in itself.
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.
At the risk of sounding “woke”, it seems a lot of the systems are made to maintain class structures. Many people don’t want equality. They want more for them and less for you. The dental associations and schools are intentionally impossible for most people to pay for. It makes it so you have to be fairly rich to even become a dentist. Then, once you graduate, if you have even some debt, which is likely even if your parents are dentists, guess where most of the dentists and orthodontists go? To the big cities like LA, where they can get their money back. Hence a boatload of dentists in rich cities, and virtually none in poorer places. It’s a classic vicious cycle of late stage capitalism.
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.
This is only partially related, but a lot of people who are suffering from depression rarely brush their teeth or shower because personal hygiene is an incredibly difficult task when you're in a state of mind that makes being awake physically painful. This definitely impacts the way they look and makes a lot of people even more self-conscious because teeth are such a focal point in beauty standards.
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)
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've mostly stopped using TikTok because it was giving me insane levels of body and facial dysmorphia, but the thing that kept absolutely ruining my day was seeing so many people with perfect teeth. My parents didn't get me braces as a kid and I can't afford them as an adult, so I just feel like...less of a person.
@@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.
When I used to have dental insurance, every appointment was a nightmare with me trying to explain how my depression causes inconsistent oral hygiene and then trying to come up with the money for the part that STILL wasn’t covered. One of the worst realizations I’ve had about the human race is that the powers that be know that we don’t need teeth or eyes to stay alive. That’s why dental and vision are considered luxuries. I’ll never understand how we can just lie down and take it for generation after generation.
"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...
And thank you for pointing out that oral health affects the rest of your body!!! A lot of people think dentists only deal with teeth. I have diagnosed oral cancers, melanomas (because I do a thorough exam of the head and neck, and let’s face it, we are the closest to patient’s head and neck to evaluate). I also diagnosed lymphoma on a 7 year old boy by feeling around his neck. Dental care should absolutely be part of medical care!!!
![[Limbus Company - Teaser] Season5 - Oblivion](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8anKuEeZLeI/mqdefault.jpg)
BTW people have pointed out the ads on this video, (as per usual) are selling many of the very things I’m criticizing hahaha I’m gonna see if I can block the “at home aligner” ads especially bc I no longer endorse those!! (Don’t miss my section on smiledirectclub)
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 💀
“Rich people getting the thing for free then selling the thing to people who can’t afford it.” Damn.
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.
My kid goes to a Title I school, which means majority-poor. They all receive free dental check ups twice a year, which I think is a great program. Dentists actually come to the school and do it during the school day, so the parents don't have to take time off or find transportation. When problems are found, parents are also referred to assistance programs. Our state health department has a large oral health program because they've realized how it affects overall health. The students also all get free fluoride varnishes.
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! ❤️
Also, those dentists who complain about their patients not taking care of their teeth forget about how hard food deserts can make it for people to buy healthy foods that will in turn, keep their teeth healthy. 🙄
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!!
People also forget/ignore that not everyone grew up with parents who encouraged them to take care of their teeth- either due to neglectful/abusive parents, parents with mental health issues, not being able to afford dental care, or simply just not having the education on why it's so important. As a kid, I never visited a dentist once, and I didn't understand the importance of taking care of my oral health (combine that with mental health and sensory issues from a young age, and it isn't good). As a result, I've got pretty fucked up teeth- they aren't damaged beyond repair, but they definitely have some bad damage that could have been avoided had I say, grown up with the money to afford dental care, or with parents who had the time and were mentally well enough to help me. I'm sure I'm not the only one in a similar situation either?
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.
coming from someone who still has crooked teeth because my mother can’t afford to get me braces, this video means a lot to me. i’m really glad that i’m not the only one who thinks so. i’ve kept the fact that my smile is one of my insecurities to myself for a long time because it’s easy for someone who can afford braces, or have never needed them, to just be like “hAvE yOu tRiEd cOnSiDeRiNg bRacEs??” like yes lol. i have. you got the $1500 down payment luv ?
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
Wait until you learn about hearing aids. I lost the majority of my hearing and they told me insurance won’t cover hearing aids because the are seen as a “cosmetic luxury”. My hearing aids cost $5000 and they only are good for 7-8 years.
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
Me, living in Germany, having always assumed that dental care IS health care pretty much everywhere... realizing that is not the case is shocking and horrifying.
Here standard procedures and regular checkups are free.
If one wants a 'pretty' filling one does need to pay extra on top, but it is seldom very expensive. And some more expensive procedures are also only partially covered but mostly affordable.
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? :"((
I worked at a dental college in the midwest and the lack of empathy towards lower-income patients and even minority patients starts even before they get into dental school. A lot of dental students come from families who are dentists so they grow up extremely privileged. We had to do programming for our classes that had activities where students role-played living as a patient on social services just so they could learn the barriers that a lot of dental patients experience when they're on Medicaid to empathize better with their patients.
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.
Hey! Newly graduated dentist here. Really enjoyed this video and you made so many great points. Something I like to suggest for those who feel like going to the dentist and taking care of their teeth is too expensive is to try and find a dental school in your state/area to be seen. Dental schools are often significantly less expensive than going to a private office, they tend to accept Medicaid, and the quality of work you receive is still very very good if not better because everything is double triple checked by supervising dentists. I know not everyone lives near a dental school, but it’s still a really good option that a lot of people maybe don’t think about off the bat. It’s obviously not ideal since treatment takes longer, but it’s always something I try to bring up now to people who tell me they can’t afford to take care of their oral health.
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 😡😡😡😡
For the UK comparison - important to note that Scotland has a separate NHS system that provides free dental check up appointments! I didn’t realise this when I moved to Scotland last year, and so it was a very welcome surprise :)
That’s great! 💛
I have a bias towards scotland. I really like it there but I live in England and I want to move.
Really loved this video! I grew up privileged to not even realize the scope of what a luxury health care/dental care was (my mom worked in health insurance growing up) and it wasn’t until I met my husband when I was 20 and he talked about how he needed braces his whole life but his parents never had dental insurance so now as an adult he’s having to deal with teeth issues and I remember my mind was so blown and now knowing the depths of it all especially having to pay for my own insurance now and just all of that. It’s just really sad and definitely needs to change.
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
As a nurse, I’ve taken care of several ppl that have had abscesses that have stopped their hearts, caused them to have parts of their lungs removed as well as effect their brain. It’s sad and devastating the state of Healthcare in America.
I still DONT see how America is the best country in the world when basic human rights to healthcare is costly.
Does anyone remember that the twist of the plot of a crime show was a rich white lady had invisalign and the detective was basically like " if you were born rich, you would have had braces as a kid, not as an adult so you're guilty"
what show was this?
OMG! I watched that too. I believe it was an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. I can’t remember anything else about the plot tho. 😭
as a son of dentists, I know for a fact that veneers are the worst. Like, yeah, they might look presentable BUT THE ROTTENESS UNDERNEATH THEM is beyond this world, AND not to mention the fact that you have to change them every few years which only guarantees a consistent income to dentists. Just ask yourself why they'd never get them!
They are not rotten under neath. You must know so really bad practitioners.
I've had three veneers for 30+ years. They are there to cover damaged teeth from falls during childhood. The teeth underneath are not rotten, but broken or chipped.
@@Mspiggytmike in the uk I think we would call theese crowns. Are your teeth filled down to little pegs?
@@leanndurnan7903 No
@@leanndurnan7903 The teeth filed down are for caps. Veneers are placed on the front only of existing teeth. The rough up the surface so they will adhere. I pray they last because I certainly can’t afford new ones.
The Netherlands, where I live, has its flaws, many of them in fact. But goodness gracious I am so damn thankful that I've never had to worry wether or not I would go bankrupt because of a dentist appointment. It's a true privilege I think
I’m Dutch too!!
@@bellef7687 I am also Dutch 🤭
Honestly as a European sometimes I forget how horrifying the situation in the USA is. Also the American standard of beauty for teeth is weird (those veneers look SO creepy), I think that at least here in Italy where I'm from we're used to more "natural" and even almost imperfect looking teeth
@@giuliadesai Same here in the Netherlands, thankfully. You rarely see people walking around with teeth that could literally blind someone. Not to criticize anyone who decides on cosmetic procedures, but I am definitely thankful the standard isn't as unrealistic as it seems to be in the US.
And to my sweet US folks: you're beautiful, gosh darnit, and that includes all of you with crooked or even missing teeth. Ily and you matter.
When Tiffany was talking about the societal assumptions of having bad teeth I got flashbacks to my health classes where a huge part of drug abuse prevention was showing us pictures of what certain drugs would do to your teeth. I remember hearing kids talk about how they would never consider doing certain drugs specifically because of how it made their teeth look.
at least that can keep kids from doing drugs and having their life ruined in other more impactful ways
This is such a good point especially the way a lot of media makes having nice, straight, white teeth seem completely up to good hygiene or genetics, when it often can come down to money. Teeth is one of those factors of appearance that people take way too seriously and use as an excuse to treat people badly
I’m below the poverty line, had an eating disorder, and because of this I had to have 5 adult teeth extracted by age 24 because they were too far gone. I have about 5 more that are in pain and need root canals or to be pulled. The infection can be dangerous, so if you can’t afford thousands of dollars of work…Medicaid will cover to pull them. It’s so sad because I grew up with caring parents who took me to the dentist and paid for braces, and loved my smile. It makes me feel gross and irresponsible that I can’t address my teeth as an adult. I scrambled together a little over a grand to fix one in the front, but I’m sure I’ll have partial dentures before 30. It’s an awful feeling. Having to find a casual way to tell someone you’re dating that you have like 4 molars total is not fun. I always feel the need to be explain the missing teeth are “temporary”… knowing I don’t know that.
The emotional and physical pain keeps me up many nights. Things need to change.
I follow @softscorpio on tiktok. she is a 23(?) year old woman who just got a full set of dentures because of teeth problems (she’s an ex addict). you might really like her content!!
I’m in the same exact boat. Missing multiple teeth and need more fixed but Medicaid will only pull them. I had decent dental care growing up but I always had cavities and now that I’m an adult I realize that genetics played a huge factor in why my teeth are so bad now when I took pretty regular care of them. Pregnancy destroyed them even more. Then every time I go to the dentist I get shamed with them saying I eat too much sugar or I need to brush my teeth more- like it’s way past that point and it’s not helping me to shame me when I can’t even afford the treatment!
I had a serious infection and had 6 of my upper teeth out. I'm now have an upper partial denture.
If you have an awesome boyfriend with a good sense of humor, he properly thinks you are bad ass for fighting and winning that fight against the eating disorder and wants to see your battle scars. He would think you are grand champion. 😎😘🥰I have a big scar on my back and I had told people "Oh I had a knife fight with a neoplasm. Clearly, I won!" 😂🤣
I hope things change too. Life is already difficult as it is without society making it more difficult.
Oh my god. I felt this one hard. So hard.
The 'veneers'/'turkey teeth' trend is really so depressing. Fillers can be dissolved but messing up your teeth is for life, and these people going abroad to have their perfectly healthy teeth shaved down to pegs for a cheep teeth job are going to have dentures by the time they're 40
I agree. I don't think the repercussions and long-term consequences of having shaved down teeth to fit veneers is discussed enough. Even filler can have unintended effects such as "traveling" and dispersing through the patient's face. If you have the time, Dr. Chan speaks on why he doesn't provide this service anymore, and this changed my outlook on potentially getting fillers in the future. ruclips.net/video/8kg16UM3YnE/видео.html
I’m 100% sure the paperwork they signed said that. Honestly, they know what’s good and are paying good money for a service.
You are so right. Just one thing, fillers do not dissolve! They spread, but they do not dissolve.
@@pk-all-day Omg thats scaring me now!
The unpopular opinion from a Russian girl: American whitening looks extremely unnatural, creepy and uncanny. As an artist, I can easily recognise the white teeth of a puppy, when the pure white color of it still has some natural slight warm yellow greyish shade, while American teeth whitening has a colder shade which reminds me of a toilet cold blue white shade, which creates this uncanny fake creepy effect. Also, naturaly white teeth aren`t supposed to be so white that it looks like they are almost glowing. I understand why these people want to fix their teeth, but dentists make these teeth look too perfect, ruining the natural healthy effect of slight imperfections (dunno how to explain it), and this makes influencers look like they have long horse teeth or smth
I wonder if Tiffany has veneers since her teeth look gorgeous, they are naturally white with subtle greyish tone ( still gorgeous I am just an artist, sorry).
I love your descriptiveness and attention to detail! The effect of slight imperfections is highly revered in Japan with the wabi-sabi aesthetic.
Im an Australian and American White can look pretty creepy for me too. Its like they cross into the uncanny valley. Too close to what real teeth look like without actually looking real
Those imperfections are needed. We’re not meant to be perfect for a reason. Our flaws add character to who we are.
She doesn't have veneers, as she explained in the video she ended up doing invisaline.
Even when you have the privilege of dental care, there are still different levels between dentist offices (in the US at least). I remember when I was younger, my family lost insurance coverage for the “nice” dentists’ office and we had to switch to this sketchier office that would “diagnose a cavity” every time we went in which was super unaffordable. Eventually we were able to go back to the other dentist and what do you know? No cavities. How strange.
It’s like that with a lot of doctors sadly they don’t make money if you are healthy
That's a crime wtf
A place tried charging me 4K for a tooth implant for a gap I had then additional braces 2k, when another place I went to was going to charge me 3k alone for the braces to close that same gap and straighten the rest of my teeth. It’s crazy how much they can get away with
SAME EXACT THING happened to me. It made me develop a deep fear and distrust of dentists for a long time, causing me to stop going for 6+ years. When I finally got enough money to pay for a good dentist (100% out of pocket) I cried and broke down in the office when I saw just the first bill. Luckily that dentist saved me and restored my faith in dentists and made me realize there are truly great ones out there who are so passionate about what they do and helping people (rather than the classic bait and switch "Drill, fill, and bill" mentality of most other dentists. The good ones are out there- they're just incredibly hard to find and usually cost more, proving the point of this video. It's a shame, but a reality.
@Amanda Leon oh no you're describing me 100% and I'm definitely worried about this. I haven't been to the dentist since I was a child, so idrk what condition my teeth are in. I also can't afford better healthcare. I hope I meet a good dentist that doesn't try to trick me.
I have always been consious about my teeth, even being picked on and commented saying that I need braces but I can never afford them. As currently a 20 year old, it makes me happy to see a video like this. Thank you so much.
before watching this video i didn't even know veneers EXISTED. what the hell. the concept of beauty is insane
I am right there with you.
Same…
This video on dental issues was as comprehensive as it gets. Thank you for your research. Basic dental treatment in Japan is part of their universal health care and this includes crowns.
I am a 65YO woman who just had a complete set of veneers a year ago. I have small teeth, a 1mm gap between two front teeth, and yellowing at my age. I never cared about my other facial features showing my age but I have always been conscious of my teeth, so at 65, I finally got veneers. I now smile without getting conscious even though they are whiter than they should be and I'm also ok with it. I don't care about luxury cars, brand-name clothes, and accessories, or coloring my hair, but the appearance of my teeth has always been of utmost importance so I feel you.
Congratulations!
I'm a first year dental student and president of my class. I shared this video with my class because it's so important to remember why we're here and what our purpose is. We get lectured to about health care disparities all the time, but you're showing the impact of these issues in a very real and effective way. I thank you for that.
Veneers are just so crazy to me, just from how irreversible they are. 😱
I have medicaid, i also have dental anxiety, watching this video and learning about MY privilege being on medicaid and having access to dental services really humbled and strangely calmed me. I will remember this privilege when going in for an appointment and use it to sooth my anxiety and appreciate the sweet people providing their services to me.
I am so glad you're discussing this !!!! As a kid, I was bullied for having misshapen front teeth. My mom couldn't afford to fix my teeth. I developed deep insecurity about my teeth where I rarely smiled or laughed due to fear of being bullied. As an adult now, I still can't afford to fix them so I decided to kinda accept them as they are. I look up to model Gabrielle Richardson who has similar teeth like mines, which makes me feel less insecure about them.
i’m currently 14 and i never smile with my teeth becuase i hate how my two front ones look, they are too close together and not straight and i feel like they make me so ugly
@@karkat4493 when I was your age I thought the same about my teeth till I realized in other cultures having "imperfect" teeth does not mean ugliness. American beauty standards are strange and very unrealistic. If all teeth were meant to straight and pearly white, then we all would have them. I personally believe teeth are meant to be unique to match a person's personality . Btw you are not ugly, there tons of runway models with imperfect teeth that are absolutely gorgeous.
My mother commented on how yellow my teeth were my entire childhood, so while I've never felt I could afford them I've always wanted veneers, waaaay before social was a thing.
My mom was neglectful so I never actually learned how to care for my teeth.
So then of course as I got older she would make fun of me for my teeth. And I’d also have dentists judge me for not taking care of my teeth.
And it’s like now that I’m older and my teeth are PERMANENTLY screwed, if I try to talk about this people are like “why are you blaming your mom, you’re an adult now just take care of your teeth”.
As if I didn’t have two root canals as a teenager with one tooth ending up needing to be pulled.
It’s so stupid that some of us have nothing wrong with our teeth and then we get older we’re shamed for it
@@McSnezzly dude, I'm so sorry. My mom was also neglectful. As an adult I confronted her about it and she said she figured I'd figure it out eventually. Luckily we were upper-middle class so I did get regular dentist appointments and I lived in an area with water that was fluoridated and all that so as a kid my teeth were in "okayish" shape.
I had this video in my watch later folder because when it first came out I had some dental issues including cosmetic issues that I could not afford to address. I was bullied as a child/teenager about my teeth and finally in my 30s-40s got them fixed. I loved to smile for the first time. Now at 71 I’m finally addressing some things because I got into our dental school and I am cautiously optimistic now. Dental care is healthcare.
I have always had somewhat yellow teeth as a kid and now as an adult. I always brush my teeth twice a day, but they stay the same color. I floss, mouthwash, and even brush after a super acidic meal. I remember one time I got into an argument with a "friend" that wasn't respecting a boundary I had set. So it ended in me slapping him. I guess he was still angry cause when we were on the bus home from school he made a comment saying my teeth were as yellow as my friends dyed hair. It stung because my mom only made $800 a month and it was either a roof over my head or going to the dentist. I'm still struggling to be able to afford any kind of dental care at the age of 24. It's rough and it sucks that that's the first thing people look at when you meet them, and then judge you if they're anything but white.
yeah same my teeth are yellow even though I take care of them my cousins are like that as well and her mother tells her not to smile with her teeth so 😃
Ironically naturally yellower teeth could be a sign that you actually have stronger enamel and are less prone to cavities. My husband's teeth have a yellowish cast but he rarely if ever has had dental problems because his enamel is so good at protecting his teeth.
@@rochellerodriguez6431 I didn’t know this but honestly that makes a lot of sense & is honestly kinda a relief 😅. My teeth have always been kinda yellow & it’s always been something I’ve been soooo insecure about but I’m also never had a cavity or needed any other major dental work. It seemed like it didn’t make sense how my teeth could look so gross (to me, and based on the perceptions of what “nice” teeth are by the public) and yet even as a kid I noticed & was grateful that my teeth required a lot less work than my peers
same, my teeth have always always been yellower and super crooked but i’ve never had a cavity and the only dental issue ive ever had is my wisdom teeth needing to come out. but i can’t stand my smile, even if people tell me i have a lovely happy smile 😔
those veneer pegs are terrifying. I got a crown because I had a cracked molar (that I lived with for years because I was too scared to go to the dentist out of fear of how much it would cost) and yeah that was shaved down, but that was because my tooth was already majorly damaged, due to having fillings that cracked my teeth over time
Holy crap, I would never shave my teeth down just for aesthetics.
same. i had crooked teeth and got them fixed partially for cosmetics but also for making sure i didn't break them with a badly timed chomp (i have a really powerful bite and broke some of my baby teeth like that in the past no jok. part of my care involved removing 4 of my teeth due to the fact that my jaw is small and i had too many teeth in my mouth at their size. at the time i was worried because i thought i'd lose some important teeth but my dentist told me that he chose my primary canines instead of my front or back teeth as they're used the least. so at least i had a medical reason for it. but doing that ONLY for cosmetics is insane to me.
I've never thought much about my teeth, and I realize that's a huge privilege. My teeth have always been naturally straight, so I never had to worry about that. Still, I do remember a few years ago I had a spate of cavities when I was in grad school that nearly brought my bank account down to zero. Dental care is health care, and health care should be a right, period.
I was born without enamel which makes my teeth look super yellow and feel super weak all the time. I’ve always had cavities and teeth issues no matter how well I take care of my teeth. I remember being 13 and learning about veneers and realizing that I was never going to be able to do that. As a kid I had Aetna which meant that I had a dentist, but the coverage was so minimal and all cosmetic dentistry is out of pocket. Having dental coverage or the ability to do any form of cosmetic dentistry is such a privilege. My teeth will never look as good as I wish they did but I don’t deserve to be shamed (by myself or others) for that.
Ooh also to add let’s add in the fact that I’m
Autistic and have a hard time with executive functioning as well as sensory issues which makes doing the simple “just brush your teeth twice a day” feel like a daunting task. Has been this way since I was a kid.
it also really bothers me when teens make jokes about how their retainers don’t fit anymore because they just decided not to wear them. my parents spent a lot of money on my braces, and i acknowledge that and understand how important it is that i don’t let that money go to waste.
It's really crazy how unaffordable dental care is in the us. Just why? Cavities and jaw issues are no visual problems, it's basic health.
It's illegal for dentists in America to only help rich people and I dare anyone PROVE OTHERWISE 😡😡😭
In the UK it depends, child dental care is free and braces are free for “non-cosmetic” circumstances. However, sometimes waiting lists can be really long to get dental work
I have braces for free currently and definitely very thankful for it
The two girls talking about the clip in veneers breaks my heart. I wanna give the purple haired girl a hug 😭
I live in Scotland and on Scot NHS, my check-ups, X-rays and cleanings are free. That is also free for those who don't know about the NHS. If I don't have any cavities or anything that needs to be taken care of, my dentist appointment is 100% free.
the concept of getting veneers on ALL of your teeth scares the shit out of me. how can you be so sure you're going to have funds to take care of them for the rest of your life?!
Medicaid is so weird because it completely covered my braces, BUT it wouldn't cover the specific wisdom teeth removal I need. I have x-rays and pictures of my nerves that show WITHOUT QUESTION that if my wisdom teeth are removed normally I WILL lose sensation in my jaw and lips, and also that if they grow in, that's going to completely f up the rest of my teeth. Just literally the worst placement of wisdom teeth. And I was denied even after an appeal. Which means I wasted 300 bucks (when I was still a broke college student) for the x-rays etc because they said I had a really good chance of getting it covered if I could show my situation. A waste because I'm not spending like 3k on my wisdom teeth.
What's the point of insurance if it won't cover the necessary health operation, but it will without question cover my cosmetic 3 year long orthodontic care.
What state are you in? I have medicaid and had no idea it could cover orthodontics
@@JulietteKernDiamond I'm in NYC. It was also covered only until I turned 21, so it was kinda a rush to start it or it would've been completely out of pocket. Thankfully even though I turned 21 before it was finished, it continued to be covered
@@BlackParade727 oh nice!!! Glad they do that. I'm too old either way I guess lol.
Feel this deeply. Combination of poverty and mental illness has left my teeth in real bad shape. I was 7 years old myself when I had my first abscessed tooth, and I had no idea it could be fatal so easily.
I'm from the UK and despite having the NHS here, most people do not have access to NHS dentists outside of large cities and therefore have to pay for private dental care. I am currently recovering from bulimia and when it was at its worst I had a lot of dental issues. I had frequent infections and one time had to wait a whole month, with the infection, before receiving NHS treatment, as I couldn't afford to go private. Then when I had to have my wisdom teeth removed due to them being impacted and causing a lot of pain, I had to wait 6 months before getting two out, then another six months before getting the next two out. Both times I experienced what is called dry socket which is extremely painful, and I wasn't given any pain meds or support post-op.
im so sorry you had to go through that ❤️
Yeah there's a huge issue with not enough NHS dentists. Kids provision is a bit better since a lot of private dentists do NHS kids but once you age out there's so few NHS dentists in more rural areas. Our town has this problem so I was travelling a fair way to find an NHS dentist for myself as an adult.
@@jeanettemullins dang thats a huge problem that needs to be fixed. i hope they can get more accessible dental care asap. im very grateful to be one of the few people here in the us with good health insurance so i dont have to pay as much for dental care but a lot of people have to pay full price which can add up to thousands of dollars… hopefully here in america there can be a free public option for healthcare soon even if there are issues with it like accessibility and wait times
Here in Finland dentist and orthodontist services are free for everyone under the age of 18! I wish it was free for everyone, but at least it makes the most sense being free for minors since that's when wearing braces/retainers/straightening care is most beneficial. From the ages of 7 to 15 I had about 7 different teeth-straightening things in my mouth, and so did most of my friends - in fact it was harder to find a kid our age that had never had any kinds of braces :)
I'm from Canada and I got Invisalign many years ago when I was a teenager. I don't come from a wealthy household. In fact, we had lots of "skinny money days". My mom could only afford it because the orthodontist allowed us to make small payments over time. It took quite a while to pay it off fully. Having straight teeth has not only boosted my confidence (I was often bullied for how crooked my teeth were) and made brushing and flossing it easier. Now I barely get cavities.
Thank you for this expose. It is helpful to learn that teeth that may not be pretty might be healthy and pretty teeth might not be healthy. Dental work is a daunting prospect for health. Some folks in the chronically ill lyme disease community people get a lot of dental work to try to heal; there are many stories of how many dentists butcher the patients' mouth. All traditional dentists know how to do is extractions , drill and fill and without any clue about testing the oral microbiome for pathogens. If there is an overgrowth of pathogens in that person and the mouth they make healing difficult or can compromise the patient after surgery. Dentists don't know how to effectively clean root canals after extraction and so people get infected after surgery.. a nightmare.
I am in school for Dental Assistant and this opens my eyes a little more. I do plan on reading that book at some point and educate myself a little more. I mean I know our Healthcare system in America is bad but this is just heartbreaking. This video shines a light in a very dark place.
I work in an area that has RAM services. People not only drive for hours to get there, they line up for it super early to try and get in. So much so that they end up doing a “lottery system” for dental work and I’ve even heard if you do “win” that lottery, you can only have a section of your mouth worked on at a time due to time constraints and wanting to help more people.
I've had 'bad teeth' since I was 7 because I have enamel hypoplasia and an underdeveloped jaw and I remembered thinking I would never get into an interview, never get a job, never be with anyone, because of my teeth. I'm past that now of course but I still feel very uncomfortable without my mask on in public
My friends: getting fillers at 28
Me: getting braces at 28
Agree with everything you say
It’s funny how I look 8 years younger
I love this video! First, I am the same age as you (25 almost 26) and have been following you since middle school with McKenna and I love you. Anyways, I am going back to school for Dental Hygiene at my local community college and I am currently taking Sociology for a prerequisite, and I shared this video in our forum about the chapter about health and inequality. I hope as a dental hygienist I can help others with their health and make people feel secure about the look of their teeth. I hope I can help change things in the system instead of perpetuate problems. I am pursuing this career because I love helping others and I hope I can do this in the fairest way possible. Dental health has been a big part of my life as well, I am going to need periodontics surgery in March which will cost a lot out of pocket in addition to paying for school, which thankfully is quite affordable at my community college... I am not taking out any loans. Thanks for making such high quality video about important topics. - Mary
thank you so much for this video Tiffany, as a working class person living in the UK, I'm so glad that you highlighted the limitations of our current NHS system- while I'm thankful that I have fairly good teeth and have been able to access and afford a dentist that helped fill my tooth crack that developed as a result of me grinding my teeth during sleep (due to stress), I know that many others just aren't as fortunate through no fault of their own and it's unfair that people have had to live in pain or even die from something as simple as a tooth infection
Grav3yard Girl actually helped me accept my crooked teeth, she mentioned in one video she really loved her crooked teeth. And I too love my crooked tooth!
I remember my mom saying that I could always get braces when I'm 40 if I really want them straight, mostly because yeah, we couldn't afford that. For all other body problems I have, at least this is not one of them!
in japan, crooked teeth are seen as a sign of youth/beauty as it is reminiscent of young children losing and growing new teeth.
When I was poor and a kid/teen, I didn’t brush my teeth because I had no idea how important it was, no one really made me brush my teeth. I’m still getting dental treatments now. BUT when I did go to the dentist as a teenager, I had insurance for low incomes & instead of giving me a root canal or anything else, your only option is to pull your teeth. There is no other option because you’re poor so now I have two teeth missing because I had no idea you could do anything else back then. (Edit: I was on WellCare’s Medicaid! I’m still on it but now I’m on another better dental insurance as well- BUT I still have to put my dental bills on a credit card with my mom’s help to afford root canal’s & crown’s. The closest place I could find that accepted dental care was an hour away.)
same
Wasn’t expecting to cry on a video about teeth but here we are.😢
I hate my teeth even though I am a dental assistant. They are probs A5 shade cos i smoke and love coffee. My teeth are perfect thank you for reminding me. I feel proud now thank you xx
I also love coffee way too much, I could never commit to having white teeth, but I could use braces and implants for my missing teeth.
People need to realize why many people are paying attention to their teeth,hair,nails,body,lips, and overall looks more in this day of age which is because of social media and it’s unrealistic standards.
I grew up in a poor rural area in the southeastern US, I remember having to take a 3 hour car ride to the dentist office, of course not for preventative care, only when I had three teeth so far gone they had to be pulled. Now I've moved into my boyfriend's hometown (he grew up lower middle class) and I've counted about 5 dentists offices here ... weird, huh ?
Teeth pulling. The dentist's "kind" option for the poor. I think it's sad that we have these amazing innovations like rapid cure resins for teeth, but the price has never decreased with time and availability. I wish the material available to DIY it like I can pop my own zits and color my own hair, tattoo my own body, and pierce my own ears. 😆🤣 but like I can't afford to fix the teeth my parents neglect ruined.
My wealthy grandparents paid for my braces as a kid. I had them taken off when I was 18 because I couldn't keep paying for them and most of the serious dental issues were already fixed and adressed. My retainer broke after the first few weeks of getting them and i have a big gap in the front of my teeth where it broke. I had to get the braces because i had huge, problematic gaps and overcrowding and my teeth were too large for my mouth, i had many removed as well before getting braces. It was 5 years of a lot of issues and I still have issues from it but now i can't afford the problems it still causes me
I agree with everything in this video with one caveat. I do think that Invisalign/braces should be seen as essential health care too. My teeth being crooked/my misaligned bite have been a major contributor to my dental issues: my teeth have chipped away to a horrifying degree over the years because of the way my teeth connect, I have gotten cavities from crowding preventing adequate flossing, and even my breathing has been affected because my teeth prevent proper tongue placement in the mouth which makes it harder to breathe through my nose. I live in Canada and I was lucky enough to get dental checkups every year and had fillings/removals done when I needed them because my mom has insurance, but she also was a single parent and worked at Walmart so straightening my teeth was out of the question and now I’m paying for it as an adult. I had a tooth pulled as a preteen because it was so out of alignment that it was damaging my jaw, and insurance covered the removal but not the straightening to save it, and now my teeth on that side of my mouth have migrated and are all over the place which means when I can afford to straighten them it will be more expensive, costly, and harder to maintain for the rest of my life :(
Completely agree with your point, similar situation here.
@@pixiepalasmr6881 I hope we can both one day get our issues fixed
@@jessicafaye97 I have been able to get braces, and a surgical procedure that removed a tooth, because of over crowding.
I have a naturally very "big" smile, some overbite and a few crooked teeth that are barely visible. Got complimented on my smile by teachers as a kid, I'd just smile at everyone when I had nothing to say. There was some pressure for me to get braces but I actively refused, saying "My body, my choice" when I was 12. Parents were glad, since we didn't have much money anyways. Never wanted any to not lose my unique smile and risk looking "fake". Plus I just didn't want the looks or hassle of them like a typical teen. Thought some kids looked so different after braces.
10 years later I don't regret a thing, did get one tooth pulled to avoid crowding but that's it. I've grown into my teeth and it looks super natural on me imo.
At 26:04, the text mentions Dickenson and Lee counties in VA. That is my neck of the woods and let me tell you, it is nothing to have to wait 3-4 months to see a dentist. Almost everyone, even wealthy people in my area, have problems with their teeth. Not to mention half of the population has well water, thus no fluoridated water.
Oh this is actually such a huge topic for me, I'm excited!
Can we talk about how even the people who end up getting braces can sometimes not afford to get them removed 😭😭 so end up buying the tool itself and removing braces themselves!! Ugh
OMG how is that possible!?
i grew up poor as hell. my parents didnt enforce me actually brushing my teeth or flossing so i didnt start doing that regularly until i was in middle school or high school, when i was self aware enough to know i needed to be doing that and had the discipline to hold myself to it. that's part of why even at 23 i still struggle really badly with my dental care. if im going somewhere that day, i can almost always get myself to brush my teeth in the morning and sometimes floss too. but if im not, i just feel like i cant. part of this is having major depressive disorder, another part is me having fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. the desire is there, but the energy isnt. i know i need to just stop making excuses but god damn it genuinely is that hard for me to bring myself to do it. i've been very lucky to have an incredibly kind dentist, orthodontist, and endodontist (i had to get my first root canal this past year) who are super understanding and nonjudgemental, but my dentist is retiring here soon and im really worried about who im gonna end up seeing after that. i've had the same dentist my entire life. the older i get, the more aware i become of the fact that you only get one set of teeth and damage cant just be reversed easily, if at all. i gotta start taking care of myself more *sigh*
Thank you for making this video! It is a very complex and important issue. I've personally went through a lot of these things you've spoke of. Growing up, my parents were of working class, and we were (and still are) part of a marginalized community.. My sister and I didn't get to go to the dentist much growing up, as our parents rarely had dental insurance. And to add to the issues, I struggled with eating disorders since I was 12 (and am now in my 30s), which made my teeth even more sensitive and painful.. As an adult, I worked many jobs that had no health insurance (let alone dental or vision)..and even once I did, the system is so flawed and expensive. I'm still dealing with a ton of pain and discomfort, as well as the fear of being judged by others. And you're correct, some dentists can absolutely cause anxiety for patients, as some treat certain patients as if they're "less than" or they act as if everyone who has serious dental issues must be lazy/stupid/trashy/on drugs/etc.. I've had experiences that caused me great anxiety, when a dentist treated me like a piece of trash, because of some of the issues I've had.
Dental care IS healthcare! It is absolutely essential, and these most basic of health services should be available to all!
And also, as someone who lives in a conservative state (Ohio), there is absolutely prejudices and hurtful behaviors from the dentists here, *especially if you're "poor" and/or on Medicaid/Medicare* (if you can even find one in your area who accepts Medicaid).
Thank you so much for this!
Tiffany, this video is so amazing! Thank you so much for making it. I'm from Brazil and here we have a universal health care system that includes oral care. The problem here is public funding, and corruption that makes many of it not arrive to the right destination. So because of this it can take many months to get an appointment. But we have it! And there is emergency oral care too, although not so easy to get. I can just imagine how it can be difficult there in US, without even what we have here in Brazil. Once again, thank you for your work.
Also while watching this I totally forgot that I’m literally weighing the pros and cons of replacing my plastic retainers that cracked after 1 month with $500 metal retainers, all while my rent is 50% of my paycheck 🥰
felt ✨that✨
My family and I always get our dentistry work done in Mexico when we’re visiting our family. It was such a shock to go to the dentist last year in the US because we couldn’t travel due to the panini, it’s SO INSANELY EXPENSIVE. Even with the cost of a round trip flight and hotels, dental procedures are wayyyyy cheaper to do in Mexico. I had surgery on my gums for literally $12 in Mexico, it would’ve been thousands in the US, and that was at a private clinic.
I was the only senior in my high school with braces, and I still got to have braces much earlier than many other people who come from low-income homes. I was lucky that my parents' financial situation improved when I was in my teens, and they were able to scrounge together money for my braces.
I haven’t watched the full video yet but health tourism is such a big thing here in turkey, especially where i live is that I’m planing on becoming a dentist because i plan to make money of tourists that come here to get their teeth fixed cheaper
Its fucked up how people care about the appearance of their teeth over the health of it. Not only that but it puts other important care on the backburner, such as eye care and ear care.
So I has la dépressione and that makes it very, very hard to regularly brush teeth. Looking in mirror + regular schedule + takes energy + no immediate reward for actions = omg that's difficult. I am better about it, but it's still hard and my teeth are (pretty much permanently) discoloured. Lots of comments. London teenagers are nasty fam
Yeah, same...I live in a country where basic dental is free but the type of fixing I need isn't and even tho I could eventually afford it, I'm just really really bad at keeping up with my schedule and my depression makes it nearly impossible to brush my teeth regularly and since I'm bipolar, I tend to forget about basic hygiene when I'm manic. Not to mention I often cope by smoking, drinking and having a shit ton of coffee. I really try to maintain myself and take care of my teeth but it's just really hard and because I don't have any "visible" or "rational" reason for NOT going to the dentist (for example a financial reason), people just assume I'm dirty and disgusting and that I don't care about how I look at all and it really does in turn affect my mental health because I'm constantly thinking about people judging me .....ya know, it's a struggle and I am glad people are starting to talk more about the ugly "disgusting" parts of having mental health problems so that we can all at least find some comfort in not being alone
All my teeth problems started because of la dépressione, and also bad genetics.
as someone who has chiclet teeth and whose mom couldn’t afford braces for me when i was a kid, this video hit hard. thank you for talking about this!
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!
I often get comments along the lines of "why do you have braces at 23?" It really just highlights how people who grew up in higher income households don't even have to consider the financial obstacles other people can face when it comes to getting dental care.
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:((.
“don’t comment on someone’s appearance if it can’t be fixed in five minutes or less” is a saying more people should start abiding by
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
Honestly pisses me off when my USA dentist points out my “yellow” teeth. He’ll say “you have a beautiful smile, but you need to start using a whitening kit! Everything looks good but the color” every single time I see him. When I go back to the Philippines my dentist always compliments my “white” teeth and says not to change anything but in America they’re not white enough😂 like if I don’t have gum disease, cavities, and my breath doesn’t stink then why does it matter?
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.
Also why is eye care not healthcare!? I would love another episode on vision care. I'm an epidemiology student focusing in health care access. Great video!
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.
It’s a bit weird that out of all the things we choose to fixate on, we choose our skull extensions and we’re like make those chompers downright reflective. 😬
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!
ruclips.net/video/vGXYeQ0WBGc/видео.html
@@choicethetaurus Imagine self promoting and the song is actually good
Omg I have been waiting for a youtuber to cover this. How is this not talked about more????
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?
I haven’t been to a dentist in years after being told I had “meth mouth” after suffering from an eating disorder and growing up in poverty.. I put off watching this video because I knew it would hurt but it was so well done. kudos
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.
I live in Sweden and here dental is free up until you are 21, most kids get bracers for free here. I had bracers and dental surgery for free until I was 21. Most adults don't go to a dentist as often since it's quite expensive but during the later years some things have changed to make dental be part of healthcare so that that doing check-ups costs less and there is a roof of how much dental can cost you (so if you need to get crowns or bigger things it's still a capped expense). But it's still not free as our other healthcare is (well atleast almost, our healthcare comes with a small fee, so it's not free-free, it's at a very low cost, like $20).
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
This is such a sensitive topic for me. I haven’t had dental care literally in years, and I need restorative work done. I’d love to have an “imperfect” smile at this point because it would be 100% better than the condition my teeth are in now. I finally have health insurance again and I’m dreading going to the dentist. Some wouldn’t understand, but there’s so much shame and embarrassment involved when your teeth get bad. Unfortunately not even all the people working in dentistry know that..I still remember how I felt over a little joke that a tech made years ago during an appointment.
So I’ll be looking for a provider that takes my Medicaid and trying to get past the anxiety and knowing that it will take a small fortune to fix my teeth.
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 ❤
I am so fucking scared to go to the dentist. Im scared theyre going to tell me ill have to get dentures. There are two in the back that are cracked. One has been cracked in half for three years. Its caused the surrounding teeth to get cavities. I havent had insurance until recently and now that i do have it i dont even want to go. All my front teeth have cavities too.
I was bullied hardcore and isolated from the age of 11 all the way until I was 18 for having crooked teeth because I grew up with a single mom and we were in poverty. I am now still paying off my braces, and I can tell u right away people have been drastically much kinder to me now that my teeth are straight. I've gotten more opportunities, and suddenly a lot more people would like to be my friend. It really is so disturbing.
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
me, a non-american having no idea what veneers are: terrified, absolutely terrified WTF WOULD YOU DO THAT???
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!
I'M SORRY $1000 A TOOF????
Imma stick with making monthly payments on invisalign thank you.
Honestly Invisalign is more worth it anyways because it is a longer process, but natural looking teeth look so much better than fake veneers. I have Invisalign and in my opinion veneers only look good if your whole face is already surgically altered, because if not they look almost too perfect for a normal, non altered face.
In most country's $1000 to fix a tooth seems about right. In Canada we have health care. But dental is not covered if your an adult. ( glasses are not covered at any age). But if you need a root canal, $1000 is standard. When I was 17, 20 years ago, it was $4k to get all my wisdom teeth out. I had all of them impacted. So I had to be put to sleep.
@@two_another yes!!! my cousin got invisalign about a year before she got married, and the aligners had whitening product in them which was so fascinating to me. she had braces as a kid but almost never wore her retainer once they were off. they looked so beautiful when she finished but i could never see her as someone with artificially white teeth lol.
Luxury bones
@@abolishpolice5232 Underrated comment, excellent username, amazing profile picture
As an aspiring dentist I really appreciate you discussing this topic. I’ve never fully educated myself about the barriers to dental care. This is really eye opening and I’ll carry this knowledge with me if I ever make it to dental school :)
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
Something little-known about dental hygiene and care: The more untreated cavities, missing teeth etc. a person has, the more at risk a person is of dementia and heart disease. Private health is fucking vile.
i didn't even know this!
Bacteria in the mouth might be causing heart and circulatory health issues
@eastlynyesburkholder3559 yes
dreams about your teeth falling out are supposed to mean you’re having anxiety around your financial situation which actually makes so much sense with this video lol
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
I remember feeling SO GUILTY as a child whenever I’d get a cavity because we didn’t have dental insurance. Nothing hurt more than being told I just charged my parents hundreds of dollars for “not brushing my teeth” :((
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
@Bee R whoa that explains why my brother has 17 cavities
@@KaytchC1790 Isn’t part of this diet as well?
My mother was a Mexican immigrant, she legalized me when I was 8 and then she did the same around her mid 30s. I remember her telling me brush your teeth, don't eat a whole lot sugar because we don't have insurance. When we got Medicare we were always got turned down. It wasn't until I was 17 I got my braces. We both cried and celebrated it because we were finally able to afford and obtain a good insurance. This video hitted home so much, God Bless you ❤
This is such an interesting topic. I had horrible teeth growing up and would not have been able to get braces because my mom was a single mom and simply couldn’t afford them. Luckily, my grandparents helped contribute, which is a privilege in itself.
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.
At the risk of sounding “woke”, it seems a lot of the systems are made to maintain class structures. Many people don’t want equality. They want more for them and less for you. The dental associations and schools are intentionally impossible for most people to pay for. It makes it so you have to be fairly rich to even become a dentist. Then, once you graduate, if you have even some debt, which is likely even if your parents are dentists, guess where most of the dentists and orthodontists go? To the big cities like LA, where they can get their money back. Hence a boatload of dentists in rich cities, and virtually none in poorer places. It’s a classic vicious cycle of late stage capitalism.
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.
The dentists who do the free traveling clinics are literal heroes.
This is only partially related, but a lot of people who are suffering from depression rarely brush their teeth or shower because personal hygiene is an incredibly difficult task when you're in a state of mind that makes being awake physically painful. This definitely impacts the way they look and makes a lot of people even more self-conscious because teeth are such a focal point in beauty standards.
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've mostly stopped using TikTok because it was giving me insane levels of body and facial dysmorphia, but the thing that kept absolutely ruining my day was seeing so many people with perfect teeth. My parents didn't get me braces as a kid and I can't afford them as an adult, so I just feel like...less of a person.
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.
When I used to have dental insurance, every appointment was a nightmare with me trying to explain how my depression causes inconsistent oral hygiene and then trying to come up with the money for the part that STILL wasn’t covered.
One of the worst realizations I’ve had about the human race is that the powers that be know that we don’t need teeth or eyes to stay alive. That’s why dental and vision are considered luxuries. I’ll never understand how we can just lie down and take it for generation after generation.
"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.
And thank you for pointing out that oral health affects the rest of your body!!! A lot of people think dentists only deal with teeth. I have diagnosed oral cancers, melanomas (because I do a thorough exam of the head and neck, and let’s face it, we are the closest to patient’s head and neck to evaluate). I also diagnosed lymphoma on a 7 year old boy by feeling around his neck. Dental care should absolutely be part of medical care!!!
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! 👏