I find that the average Brit is satisfied with teeth that might be
crooked, stained, even slightly rotten, if they aren't causing much
discomfort to their owner. Average Americans have much higher standards
of expectation in the state of their dental health -- regardless of
whether they have to pay for dental treatment or not, they feel very
strongly that good teeth are a wise investment in looks and health. Many
visits to the dentist by average Brits happen only after something has
gone horribly wrong with their teeth, whilst Americans take an actively
preventative approach with semi-annual dental checkups and intervention
before any problems become severe. As a result of the greater amount of
attention that Americans pay to their teeth, they are far more likely to
notice and comment on the state of other people's teeth.