1 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and welcome to Stephan. 2 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 2: I never told you a picture of iHeartRadio. 3 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 3: Like that dance you did for me, it was just 4 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 3: for you. 5 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:25,640 Speaker 1: It's just for you. I have to apologize. 6 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:26,800 Speaker 2: I'm going to put you on the spot. 7 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: Oh yay, yes, how how are your teeth? How are 8 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 1: they doing? Not doing that? 9 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:35,879 Speaker 4: No? 10 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 3: Well, my favorite reviews that we've seen on this show, 11 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 3: when I was reading all the reviews was literally them 12 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 3: complaining about the fact that we complained too much and 13 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:49,919 Speaker 3: that they're like, what's wrong with that one girl? What's 14 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:52,159 Speaker 3: wrong with our teeth? Do y'all not pay enough for 15 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 3: your cares? 16 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: Expensive? 17 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 3: And I love them now I'm even harping on it. 18 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 3: So I hope that listener who stopped listening comes back 19 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 3: to check it out just one more time, and here's 20 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:05,759 Speaker 3: this is. 21 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: And then I'm talking about my teeth. 22 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 3: That's my favorite part of this. 23 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: Okay, it's getting better. 24 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 3: I think after the treatment that I had with a 25 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 3: dry socket, y'all, I had the whole dreaded dry socket, which, 26 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 3: by the way I read that is women at my 27 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,320 Speaker 3: age are more risk in getting that, and I found 28 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 3: that interesting. I'm like, why that's that's sexist and agist. 29 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 3: I don't know, I don't like any of that anyway, 30 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 3: I'm getting better. I was just thinking I'm having a 31 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 3: harder time talking and speaking because I you know, we're 32 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 3: not going to talk about how people all the other 33 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:45,119 Speaker 3: complays I've gotten, but because I like it was one 34 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 3: of those that was just in a difficult position anyway. 35 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 3: So the way my mouth feels is so strange right now. 36 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 3: So I'm adjusting, but less pain. I have started eating 37 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 3: food again. I still can't use a straw, which makes 38 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 3: me sad because my teeth are very sensitive. And for 39 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 3: those concerned, I did schedule in a new appointment with 40 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 3: a new dentist that I've had good reviews, like personal 41 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 3: references and testimonies for. 42 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: So let's hope we get it fixed for a little while. Yeah, 43 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: teeth pain is no, it is very very fatful. 44 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, this one's one of those moments I almost went 45 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:27,799 Speaker 3: to with the er, not realizing people do that, and 46 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 3: I was like, now I see why. 47 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, oh yeah, well I'm glad it's doing better. It 48 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 2: is kind of comical that right now both you and 49 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 2: I are experiencing something that affects our speaking ability, which 50 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 2: is our whole job, almost but this was on my 51 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 2: mind both because you have been going through this, but 52 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 2: also because we just had a Monday mini come out 53 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 2: about cosmetic surgery in the in cell world, and I 54 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 2: through that I found a bunch of articles about teeth 55 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 2: and perfect teeth in the evolution of teeth, and it. 56 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: Was actually really fascinating. 57 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 2: Like legitimately, there's a point where historians are like, we 58 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 2: don't know why this happened, why the jaw changed, why 59 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 2: the teeth started coming in this way, and that's when 60 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 2: like dental work became a big thing, and there's a 61 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 2: lot of theories about why, especially like new foods coming 62 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 2: in and stuff. Oh yeah, yeah, it was really fascinating, 63 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 2: but it was you know, not in the scope of 64 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 2: that episode or. 65 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: This podcast, but. 66 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 2: Previous host Kristen and Caroline did do an episode on 67 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 2: kind of the idea of perfect teeth and what that 68 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 2: looks like and how that intersects with so many things. 69 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 2: So please enjoy this classic episode. 70 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 4: Welcome to Stuff Mom Never Told from houstufports dot com. 71 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Kristen and I'm Caroline, 72 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: and today on the podcast, we're going to talk about teeth. 73 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:17,280 Speaker 4: So many implications with teeth, teeth and beauty, right, Yeah, 74 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 4: first things first, we i e. 75 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: Humans have been messing. 76 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 4: Around with our teeth in the form of oral modification 77 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 4: or dental modification. 78 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: We're a long long time for all. 79 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:36,719 Speaker 4: Sorts of reasons, including health reasons, beauty reasons, religious reasons, 80 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 4: rites of passage, social status. 81 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 1: Et cetera. 82 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 4: There is a world history contained in our chompers. 83 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 1: I know, it's is so interesting that we have and 84 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: obviously we'll talk about this, but we have. 85 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:53,599 Speaker 5: Such a history as humans of messing with our teeth 86 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:57,600 Speaker 5: for various reasons, and like animals, you know, like apes, 87 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 5: our ape ancestors were like let me file this down, 88 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 5: or let me pull a molar or whatever. 89 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: You know, it's like, this is such a person thing. 90 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 4: Well because if I mean, we could do a whole 91 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 4: series of podcasts on body modification. But if you think 92 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 4: about it, humans really love messing around with their bodies, 93 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 4: whether it's tattooing our skin or piercing holes in ears 94 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 4: in other places, or in this case, messing around with 95 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 4: the appearance of our teeth, whether it is for health 96 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 4: or purely esthetic purposes. 97 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 5: Yeah, so let's go back, as we often do, to 98 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 5: the ancient Egyptians, who developed a lot of dental treatments, 99 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 5: including fillings and false teeth. So already we're like, hey, 100 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 5: you're missing a tooth, Better get that fixed. 101 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:47,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, Egyptians. 102 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:50,480 Speaker 4: And a little bit later on, the very first historical 103 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 4: record of a purely esthetic tooth modification came in the 104 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:59,600 Speaker 4: seventh century BC with the Etruscans, who would sometimes wear 105 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:03,119 Speaker 4: these gold bands around their teeth, and it was usually 106 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 4: exclusively worn by women. And some people think that they 107 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 4: were like a form of primitive braces that actually might 108 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 4: have been used to hold false teeth in place. 109 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,920 Speaker 5: Yeah, but the false teeth weren't very convincing, right because 110 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 5: they were made out of things like other animals teeth. 111 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. 112 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:29,280 Speaker 4: No, the Etruscan false tooth technology, not tip top. 113 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:34,720 Speaker 1: Jenny over there is wearing that hippopotamus tooth's just protruding, 114 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:36,360 Speaker 1: doesn't she know? We can all. 115 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:38,839 Speaker 4: Tell I didn't know Jenny was an Etruscan name. It 116 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 4: just came out of me. But anyway, So, these. 117 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 5: Primitive types of braces have also been found on mummies 118 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:49,360 Speaker 5: that predate the Etruscans, made out of this thing called catgut, 119 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 5: which apparently is not cat gut. 120 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's not the gut of a cat. 121 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 4: No, a cat the cat and catgut is short for cattle. 122 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 4: But a lot of times catgut would have been the intestines, 123 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:04,360 Speaker 4: the dried intestines of sheep or goats. 124 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:06,839 Speaker 1: So why they didn't call it goat gut, Caroline, I 125 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 1: don't know. I don't know. 126 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 5: I'm sure it was something different in their language, though, probably, 127 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 5: So why are archaeologist. 128 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: Calling it that? I you know, I don't know. We 129 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 1: have so many follow up questions already. 130 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 4: But long story short, what we're trying to get at 131 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 4: is the fact that we have been wearing braces types 132 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 4: of gear in our mouths for a very very very 133 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 4: long time. In the case of the etruscans, it was 134 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:33,880 Speaker 4: more ornamental, but there were also practical reasons for it 135 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 4: as well, to hold those teeth in place. Because we 136 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 4: also didn't have things like you know, your soniccare toothbrush 137 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 4: and mouthwash and fluoride rints, et cetera. 138 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 5: That's right, and fancy Elizabethan ladies, they would modify their teeth. 139 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 5: They actually put wax balls called puffers in place of 140 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 5: missing teeth. So that their cheeks wouldn't appear sunken in. 141 00:07:56,520 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 5: So this is another esthetic esthetic alteration which. 142 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 4: Does remind me of when I was a kid, when 143 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 4: I would be losing my baby teeth if I was 144 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 4: chewing gum. 145 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 1: This might be a very gross detail to add. I 146 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 1: think we all ed did this time? Did you make 147 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 1: your own puffers? Yeah, kind of poke it up into 148 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 1: the space left by the tooth. Well. I also stuck 149 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: chicklets on my actual teeth. 150 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, of course, I mean you put chicklets on 151 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 4: your teeth, bugles on your. 152 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 1: Finger, right, endless entertainment, that's right. 153 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 5: But yeah, So there's a million different ways. I mean, 154 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 5: talk about body modification. 155 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 4: There's a million different ways that humans throughout history and 156 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 4: still today modify their smiles. And the whole point of 157 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 4: this is that a perfect in quote smile is culturally 158 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 4: relative in a lot of ways. It depends on where 159 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 4: you are, because if we go across history and also 160 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:55,680 Speaker 4: around the world, there have been four main types of 161 00:08:55,760 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 4: dental modification, which includes ablation, which is intentionally removing certain teeth, filing, 162 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 4: drilling with inlays like putting kesha I believe she with 163 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:12,200 Speaker 4: the money symbol in her name had a little diamond 164 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:13,439 Speaker 4: put into one of her teeth. 165 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: That's an inlay. And also staining, which we would think 166 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 1: of today when we whiten our teeth. 167 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 5: That's right, because it was the opposite way with those 168 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:24,959 Speaker 5: silly Egyptians. They would stain their teeth red because they 169 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:27,840 Speaker 5: thought that the natural color of teeth was like gross 170 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:28,320 Speaker 5: or something. 171 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, which is so so so interesting. 172 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: It's all relative, It is all relative. 173 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 5: For instance, in Japan, ancient Japan, they would blacken their 174 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 5: teeth for a couple of reasons. 175 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 1: It showed a woman had come of age, it. 176 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:48,079 Speaker 5: Did show wealth, but also women in Japan would blacken 177 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 5: their teeth to hide their mouth expressions. It wasn't until 178 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,680 Speaker 5: a Japanese impress actually set an example for white teeth 179 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:58,119 Speaker 5: for women that the natural teeth. 180 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: Took off well. And that was too, if I. 181 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:04,440 Speaker 4: Remember it correctly, a process of Japan intentionally wanting to 182 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 4: become more westernized in appearance to the outside world, and 183 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:13,600 Speaker 4: so it was outlawed. Yeah, that women even blacken their teeth, 184 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:18,679 Speaker 4: although it is still practiced among some women, like in 185 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 4: more remote areas here and there of Southeast Asia. 186 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 1: But speaking of puffers and those Elizabethan ladies. 187 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 4: Apparently in Elizabethan England as well, there was a brief 188 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 4: fad of blackening teeth. So you've put your puffers in, 189 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 4: you blacken your teeth, and you go to court. 190 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:40,679 Speaker 5: That would be horrifying. Can you imagine, like all of 191 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:41,880 Speaker 5: a sudden, we live in a world where you. 192 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:44,120 Speaker 4: Can like teleport back in time and you show up 193 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 4: at the court and you have white teeth and everyone's 194 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 4: like embarrassed poser. 195 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 5: I know, and they're like, what is she wearing? What 196 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 5: are these pants? These pants you speak of? And then 197 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:58,520 Speaker 5: something that to me personally is more horrifying than just 198 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 5: like blackening your teeth is the pain that would accompany 199 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 5: getting a tattoo on your gums. This has been a practice, 200 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 5: or had been a practice in Senegal to signal a 201 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:13,439 Speaker 5: woman's coming of age. What is all this tooth modification 202 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 5: to signal like sexual availability? 203 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:18,560 Speaker 1: Kinda yeah, sexual availability status. 204 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:25,199 Speaker 4: There Similarly, in Morocco, way back when they would also 205 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 4: practice gum darkening. 206 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:29,280 Speaker 1: In order to make their teeth appear even whiter. 207 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 4: Now, this is something that is still a marker of 208 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 4: female beauty and is a very coveted trait that is 209 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 4: not actually a dental modification, but something that you would 210 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 4: rather hope to be born with. 211 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:43,679 Speaker 1: And that is the gap. 212 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:47,719 Speaker 4: Tooth and essentially the having a wide space between your 213 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:51,199 Speaker 4: two front teeth, and that is still a coveted trait 214 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 4: among women in Nigeria, Ghana and Namibia in particular, and 215 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:59,840 Speaker 4: there are certain family groups who are known. 216 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 1: To have this tooth gap. 217 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:05,240 Speaker 4: And it seemed as the most beautiful smile a woman 218 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 4: could possibly have. 219 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:09,240 Speaker 5: Right Because Orange is the new Black actress, Uzzo a 220 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 5: Dubo otherwise known as Crazy Eyes in the show, she 221 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 5: has a tooth gap. And Kristen has a great blog 222 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:19,680 Speaker 5: post e It's Stuffmomnever Told You dot Com that quotes 223 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,600 Speaker 5: her from an interview talking about how she was begging 224 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:24,480 Speaker 5: and begging and begging to get the gap closed up 225 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:27,960 Speaker 5: as a kid, and her mom said, look, missy, that's 226 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 5: a history in your mouth. That is family history in 227 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 5: your mouth. That's how people know our family. And it's 228 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 5: beautiful and so it is. It is a celebration in 229 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:40,000 Speaker 5: many cultures. It just happens to be in the West. 230 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 5: Typically we get that closed. 231 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:45,559 Speaker 4: Up, although you do see some high fashion models here 232 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 4: and there who will have the gap tooth and when 233 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 4: I was researching for that blog post, I did run. 234 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:53,840 Speaker 1: Across one trend piece. 235 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:56,200 Speaker 4: In The Guardian from a couple of years back talking 236 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:59,560 Speaker 4: about how, oh, the gap tooth is the hot new thing, 237 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 4: which I'm sure would make Nigerians laugh, because what hot 238 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:04,679 Speaker 4: new thing? 239 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 1: What are you talking about? It's always been gorgeous, but. 240 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 5: You just because you have people like Georgia May Jagger 241 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 5: who has a big gap tooth, but you have Madonna too, 242 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 5: who's had one forever. 243 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: But whatever. 244 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:18,640 Speaker 5: There's also snaggle teeth which are really popular, and they've 245 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 5: been really popular in Japan. It's this whole concept of 246 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 5: wabi sabi, which is the idea of finding beauty and imperfections. 247 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:30,720 Speaker 4: Yeah, and so some people might have seen this, these 248 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,679 Speaker 4: kinds of Japanese trend pieces popping up in the past 249 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 4: couple of years about younger girls in particular going and 250 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 4: having their teeth like artificially kind of snaggletoothed in a way, 251 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 4: having them put into where they. 252 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 1: Overlap on each other. 253 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:51,960 Speaker 4: And it was in order to achieve this look that's 254 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:55,000 Speaker 4: associated with being being. 255 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:55,839 Speaker 1: A younger girl. 256 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 4: It looks very innocent and young, something that would be 257 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:05,800 Speaker 4: now something far more painful is teeth chiseling, which is 258 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 4: still practiced by some remote tribes that particularly in Indonesia, 259 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:13,400 Speaker 4: and sometimes it's for a coming of age. Sometimes it's 260 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 4: something done primarily to women to show that they have 261 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 4: matured in our of age. And it is exactly what 262 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:26,360 Speaker 4: it sounds like, Ei, their chiseled into sharp points. 263 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:28,840 Speaker 1: I don't know. But then there are. 264 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 5: Ancient cultures also who considered sharp teeth to be equated 265 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 5: to like monsters and scary deities, and so that they 266 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:38,040 Speaker 5: would file their teeth. 267 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 1: Down to be the opposite of sharp. 268 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:43,040 Speaker 4: Yeah, that's what they would do in Bali in order 269 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 4: to ward off negative emotions like anger and jealousy. 270 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 1: File those teeth down. 271 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 5: So in terms of ablation though, like we said intentionally 272 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 5: removing teeth, the Randa people of Australia would actually remove 273 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 5: a tooth from a boy's mouth as a rite of passage, 274 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 5: and then the boy's mom would stick the tooth in 275 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 5: a gum tree and once the boy died, the tree 276 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 5: would be stripped of its bark. 277 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 4: Yeah, once he grew up and then died, and then 278 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:14,720 Speaker 4: I guess that would be part of the funeral rites. 279 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 1: Interesting, his tooth tree would be stripped. 280 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:24,760 Speaker 4: So all sorts of fascinating dental modifications going on in 281 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 4: all sorts of cultures around the world. 282 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: Which brings us to what we. 283 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:34,280 Speaker 4: Think of as the perfect smile by Western standards today, 284 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 4: which is very white. 285 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: And very straight. And the history of. 286 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:44,760 Speaker 4: How we whitened and straightened our teeth is. 287 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 1: Also pretty fascinating. 288 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:49,080 Speaker 4: So when it comes to how we began brushing our 289 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 4: teeth every day twice a day and flossing from medieval 290 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 4: times through the Renaissance, tooth cleaning, as you would probably guess, 291 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 4: was very why you would essentially wipe them down with 292 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 4: a cloth, You might swish around with vinegar or wine which. 293 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:09,880 Speaker 1: I don't know, maybe I hope it was white. 294 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 4: Wine, and then you might chew on things like mint, 295 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 4: rosemary or other fragrant herbs in order to freshen your breath. 296 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 4: Because they did not have proper toothbrushes and toothpaste. 297 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 5: Some of them had a semi proper toothbrush because in 298 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:29,320 Speaker 5: the seventeenth century some people were using a bristle brush 299 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:33,360 Speaker 5: for their teeth that came to Europe from China. 300 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, and then fast. 301 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:40,239 Speaker 4: Forward to eighteen fifty seven when the first toothbrush is patented, 302 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 4: and then in the eighteen eighties the first electronic toothbrush, Surprise, Surprise, 303 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 4: is sold. 304 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:49,360 Speaker 1: And then soon after in the eighteen nineties, we get 305 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:50,600 Speaker 1: dental floss. 306 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 5: Something that I neglected to google and I totally wanted 307 00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 5: to and should have is that first electronic toothbrush. I 308 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 5: want to see what it looks like, because I imagine 309 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 5: it to be like this huge contral aption with a 310 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 5: giant plug or whatever. I don't know, something like a 311 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:07,200 Speaker 5: torture device. But I need to do that mental note, 312 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:07,560 Speaker 5: I'll do that. 313 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 4: Like, I feel like it was probably really dangerous to use, 314 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 4: just because it would have been presumably close to water 315 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:20,119 Speaker 4: and thinking about electricity at that time. Yeah, needed a 316 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:24,320 Speaker 4: lot of safety instructions. But so when we move into 317 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:28,359 Speaker 4: the twentieth century, we get a huge uptick in the 318 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:33,840 Speaker 4: pace of our dental technology, and bright white teeth gradually 319 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 4: become the standard. We have obviously moved away from red 320 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:40,879 Speaker 4: Egyptian teeth and black Japanese teeth, but it still wasn't 321 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:44,439 Speaker 4: until after World War Two the teeth brushing in the 322 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 4: US really became a thing. Yeah, because soldiers were instructed 323 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:52,200 Speaker 4: to brush your teeth to avoid getting something called trench 324 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:55,200 Speaker 4: mouth as a whole. But we should note that William 325 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:58,480 Speaker 4: Colgate and company that name probably rings a brand name 326 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 4: bell to a lot of listeners, began selling toothpaste in 327 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 4: the US in the late eighteen hundred, so it was around. 328 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 1: It probably just wasn't in every. 329 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:08,720 Speaker 4: Single home because, as we'll talk about more later in 330 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:12,200 Speaker 4: the podcast, higher end dental care and having things that 331 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 4: we would think of today as being so basic as 332 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:19,360 Speaker 4: a toothbrush and toothpaste have largely been related to class 333 00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 4: in your financial situation. 334 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:24,960 Speaker 5: Right, and so I mean, speaking of money. By nineteen 335 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:28,440 Speaker 5: ninety seven, Americans, we're spending three hundred and eighty three 336 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,680 Speaker 5: million dollars per year on over the counter whitening products. 337 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 5: I had to stop using whitening stuff because it was 338 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 5: like my gums are not It was not good for me. 339 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:42,719 Speaker 5: So now I have to use sensidine stuff type toothpaste 340 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 5: because my teeth were getting too sensitive from whitening. 341 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 4: Cautionary tale from Carolina. I know the cycle of the 342 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:50,520 Speaker 4: cycle of whitening. 343 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:53,720 Speaker 5: But fast forward to twenty ten and the New York 344 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:56,800 Speaker 5: Times was reporting on cosmetic dental ceramis having. 345 00:18:56,560 --> 00:18:59,720 Speaker 1: To make sure that their veneers didn't look. 346 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 5: Too perfect, because we've been pursuing these white, white, white, 347 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 5: perfect perfect teeth for so many years, and suddenly people 348 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 5: are like, your teeth just look fake. 349 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 1: I want real looking teeth. 350 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,120 Speaker 5: And so, now, if you're shelling out anywhere from seven 351 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 5: hundred to twenty five hundred dollars. 352 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:17,679 Speaker 1: For veneers, if you have the means, a lot of. 353 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:22,440 Speaker 5: People are asking for slightly like tinted veneers that look 354 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:23,399 Speaker 5: more realistic. 355 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, And the funny thing. 356 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 4: About it is, first of all, just the fact that 357 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:30,880 Speaker 4: this trend piece exists, and they were able to interview 358 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:34,280 Speaker 4: these dentists who were scoffing it how white some people's 359 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:39,520 Speaker 4: veneers are, because these wealthy clients usually would walk into 360 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:44,960 Speaker 4: the dentist's office and want a look that they saw 361 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:48,959 Speaker 4: in a Hollywood tabloid. But the dentists were like, what 362 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 4: you don't realize is that when those paparazzi photos are 363 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:54,879 Speaker 4: being taken, or red carpet photos are being taken, the 364 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:59,760 Speaker 4: flash from the cameras is reflecting off of the teeth, 365 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 4: making them appear even whiter than they normally are. 366 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:04,240 Speaker 1: So if you get teeth that. 367 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:07,480 Speaker 4: Are as white as you see in US Weekly and 368 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 4: People magazine, then they will be almost blindingly white, which 369 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 4: does harken my brain back to that episode and Friends when. 370 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: Ross gets I think, is teeth white? And they're way 371 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 1: too white? And I now feel old for a friend's joke. 372 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 1: It's distracting. 373 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:29,840 Speaker 4: Like talking to someone whose teeth are obviously like super 374 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:30,520 Speaker 4: super white. 375 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:32,400 Speaker 1: I can't help it stare at their mouth. 376 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 4: It's incredible that we're to this point to where your 377 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:37,240 Speaker 4: teeth can be too white and too perfect. 378 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:39,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, we have jumped the shark. 379 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:42,120 Speaker 4: But in addition to the pursuit of white, there's also 380 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,159 Speaker 4: been the pursuit of the straight teeth, and so we 381 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:49,879 Speaker 4: have a brief history of braces, which fun fact, barbers 382 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:52,399 Speaker 4: were the first dentist, didn't you know when you go 383 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:54,480 Speaker 4: to the barber, that's where you'd also go to get 384 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:56,240 Speaker 4: a bad tooth pulled way back. 385 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:56,520 Speaker 1: In the day. 386 00:20:56,600 --> 00:21:00,440 Speaker 4: So it is a good thing that oral technology has 387 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 4: come the long way that it has. But orthodontia actually 388 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:07,360 Speaker 4: took off in the eighteenth century, which isn't so surprising 389 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:09,680 Speaker 4: that it's been around that long when you think about 390 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:12,680 Speaker 4: the fact that those Etruscan women were wearing those gold 391 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 4: bands and the mummies had primitive braces. 392 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:18,040 Speaker 1: On as well. Catgut, Yeah, ol catgut. 393 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 5: Well, it's actually some French folks who took us far 394 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 5: far from catgut to more. 395 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:27,960 Speaker 1: Modern braces, so kind of. 396 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:32,879 Speaker 5: In seventeen twenty eight, French dentist Pierre Fouchard published a 397 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:38,160 Speaker 5: book called The Surgeon Dentist, which described what sounds terribly painful. 398 00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:43,200 Speaker 5: It's some kind of device called a ban do. And 399 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:46,159 Speaker 5: the brace technology really didn't change all that much up 400 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:47,440 Speaker 5: until the nineteen fifties. 401 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, and this brief history, by the way, is coming 402 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 4: from the fabulous folks at Mental Floss. 403 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 1: And after the fifties. 404 00:21:54,720 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 4: You have an accelerated pace of orthodontia technology. By the 405 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:03,160 Speaker 4: mid seventies, orthodont has had figured out how to put 406 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:06,440 Speaker 4: those brackets on the front of our teeth, and then 407 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,159 Speaker 4: by the eighties they figured out, hah, this is how 408 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:09,600 Speaker 4: we put. 409 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 1: Them on the back of our teeth. 410 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:15,800 Speaker 4: And so by the nineteen nineties, around a third of 411 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:17,760 Speaker 4: us kids are getting braces. 412 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:22,160 Speaker 1: And now I feel like it's almost a standard, almost 413 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:23,600 Speaker 1: box you check. 414 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:25,399 Speaker 4: Once you have a kid, you start taking them to 415 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:28,280 Speaker 4: the dentist, it's like, well, will he or she get braces? 416 00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:28,679 Speaker 3: Or not. 417 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 5: Yeah, I never had braces. I had them on my 418 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:35,800 Speaker 5: bottom teeth. They wanted to wait to put them on 419 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:38,360 Speaker 5: my top teeth because they wanted to break my jaw 420 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:41,080 Speaker 5: and bring it forward because I have an overbite. But 421 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:43,239 Speaker 5: I was like, I'm not going to let you do that. 422 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:44,879 Speaker 5: You don't know this yet, but I'm not going to 423 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:47,040 Speaker 5: let you do that. So I never end up getting 424 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:49,640 Speaker 5: braces on my top teeth. And they look great, okank 425 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:52,000 Speaker 5: and beautiful teeth. I feel like they're better from this side. 426 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:54,720 Speaker 5: I'm turning my left side to Kristen because this side 427 00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:55,880 Speaker 5: I have a crooked tooth, and. 428 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:57,879 Speaker 4: Today is the day I learned that Caroline has a 429 00:22:57,920 --> 00:22:59,360 Speaker 4: preferred tooth side. 430 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 5: I do so when the paparazzi finally find me down 431 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:05,280 Speaker 5: here in Atlanta, you'll know as side to turn. 432 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 1: Take the picture from the left. 433 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:09,800 Speaker 4: Well, the whole reason why we were even inspired to 434 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 4: do this episode on teeth is that when it comes 435 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:19,480 Speaker 4: to braces in particular, it's far likelier that little Janie's 436 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 4: going to get braces compared. 437 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:23,960 Speaker 1: To Little Johnny, or that she is going to want braces. 438 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:25,959 Speaker 4: She's going to look in the mirror and see her 439 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:30,200 Speaker 4: teeth and think those are not up to snuff. Now, 440 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 4: going back to earlier in the podcast, when we were 441 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:36,439 Speaker 4: taking a trip around the world with different forms of 442 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:41,080 Speaker 4: dental modification, there were some that were exclusively targeted to 443 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:45,359 Speaker 4: women in those cultures, such as the tooth blackening in 444 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:50,520 Speaker 4: Japan and tooth chiseling among certain groups. But also now 445 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:56,920 Speaker 4: today braces tend to happen more often among girls. It's 446 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:02,080 Speaker 4: really interesting looking at girls, and also there parents wanting. 447 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:03,360 Speaker 1: Girls to get braces. 448 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 5: But there was a twenty twelve study that looked at 449 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 5: the factors that go into children, young people, teens wanting 450 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:14,720 Speaker 5: dental therapy of of several different kinds, and they found 451 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:21,080 Speaker 5: that the two main predictors were psychological elements and female gender. 452 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:25,160 Speaker 5: So just simply being a girl is a huge predictor 453 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:29,679 Speaker 5: of seeking things like braces or other orthodontia or teeth whitening. 454 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:31,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, And that study was. 455 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 4: Linked to in an article by sociologist Philip Cohen who 456 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:39,400 Speaker 4: noticed a stark gender gap in braces and he wrote 457 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 4: about it for Sociological Images, which was then crossbosted to 458 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 4: a Pacific Standard magazine, and he found looking at a 459 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 4: bunch of studies, the girls are twice as likely than 460 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:53,680 Speaker 4: boys to say that they don't like their teeth and 461 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:58,600 Speaker 4: want braces. He even said, just google image braces and 462 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:01,840 Speaker 4: about seventy five percent of the photos that come up 463 00:25:02,119 --> 00:25:03,639 Speaker 4: are all, you know, stock. 464 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 1: Images of girls with braces on. 465 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:11,600 Speaker 4: And there was even I don't know why it. 466 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:13,120 Speaker 1: Gave me the hev gbs, but if you go on. 467 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:16,239 Speaker 4: Pinterest and because I'm kind of got into a bit 468 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:21,080 Speaker 4: of an Internet rabbit hole looking at images of braces, 469 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 4: you know, kids embraces to see whether you know, what 470 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:24,520 Speaker 4: Cohen said. 471 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:26,200 Speaker 1: Holds up, and it so does. 472 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:28,960 Speaker 4: If you go over to Pinterest, there are so many 473 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:31,399 Speaker 4: pinboards just of girls and braces. 474 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 1: Why. I don't know. 475 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:37,280 Speaker 4: I think it's some of its fashion, you know, for girls, 476 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:38,440 Speaker 4: you know, to be proud. 477 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: Of their braces, like beautiful with braces. Okay, but it's 478 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:45,560 Speaker 1: definitely it's definitely a thing. Go on Pinterest and you know, 479 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:46,840 Speaker 1: you don't have to take my word. 480 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:50,520 Speaker 4: For it, but this was something too that he found 481 00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:53,000 Speaker 4: not just in the US, but also abroad. 482 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:56,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, same in England and Germany. 483 00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:01,159 Speaker 5: That girls are more likely to get braces, same with 484 00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:07,160 Speaker 5: adult women. Another Google search was if you google mother 485 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 5: daughter braces. He was talking about you get pictures of 486 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 5: mothers and daughters getting braces together, but if you google 487 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:17,639 Speaker 5: father son braces, it brings you to practices or at 488 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:22,040 Speaker 5: thedonist offices run by fathers and sons. Yeah, because adult 489 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:26,200 Speaker 5: braces have become more common in recent years, and even 490 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:32,160 Speaker 5: among that clientele demographic, it tends to skew female. 491 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:35,040 Speaker 1: And I went to the dentist a. 492 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:38,639 Speaker 4: Couple of years ago and was so surprised because I 493 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:42,440 Speaker 4: grew up had a great dentist and was never recommended 494 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 4: for braces. And I don't have a completely perfectly straight mouth. 495 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:50,760 Speaker 1: Of teeth, but that is fine. They're like whatever. 496 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:54,320 Speaker 4: And one of the first things she said was have 497 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:55,720 Speaker 4: you ever considered braces? 498 00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:58,760 Speaker 1: What? Yeah, she was like, if you just wear these 499 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:00,080 Speaker 1: Invica line, no one will leave. 500 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 4: Be able to Oh no, no, that is just such 501 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:04,040 Speaker 4: a sales pitch. 502 00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 5: They're just trying to make money because dental costs are 503 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 5: spiraling and they're not getting all their money back from medicaid, 504 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:13,000 Speaker 5: and so they just want to make their money through 505 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:13,720 Speaker 5: in visil line. 506 00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 1: Well, jokes on you, Caroline, because she was right. You 507 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:18,520 Speaker 1: can't see my visil lin because they're in right now. 508 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:19,320 Speaker 4: No, I don't. 509 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:20,200 Speaker 1: I don't have them. 510 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:24,080 Speaker 4: Yeah, it did feel it was a peculiar sales pitch 511 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:26,240 Speaker 4: to get. And I wonder if a guy who walked 512 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 4: in with my teeth and my bite, which yes it 513 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:32,159 Speaker 4: is a perfect bite, oh good, if she would have 514 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:33,800 Speaker 4: recommended that to him. 515 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:34,639 Speaker 1: I don't know. 516 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:38,760 Speaker 4: Higher expectations for women so well, And that's what Cohen 517 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:42,719 Speaker 4: thinks the sociologists we talked about. He thinks that it 518 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:46,560 Speaker 4: has a lot to do with these higher standards and 519 00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:50,640 Speaker 4: higher expectations for female beauty because more girls getting bracest 520 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:55,840 Speaker 4: has absolutely nothing to do with more girls needing braces. 521 00:27:55,920 --> 00:28:00,240 Speaker 4: They're also studies that he looked at comparing whether where 522 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 4: kids were getting braces purely for esthetic reasons or because 523 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:07,040 Speaker 4: they did have some kind of dental alignment issue that 524 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:10,560 Speaker 4: needed to be corrected, and overwhelmingly girls were likely to 525 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:13,879 Speaker 4: get them for purely esthetic reasons. 526 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:16,800 Speaker 5: Right, But he was also talking about how in reality, 527 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:20,280 Speaker 5: boys and girls have equal need for braces. Yeah, among 528 00:28:20,359 --> 00:28:23,400 Speaker 5: children who need them to correct a problem or whatever, 529 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:28,520 Speaker 5: straightened teeth, whatever, the need is equal, but girl's perception of. 530 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 1: Their need is way greater. 531 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 5: He found that among girls who get braces, their actual 532 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:37,000 Speaker 5: need is low, and like we said with adult braces, 533 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 5: that's a trend that continues into adulthood and that includes 534 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:42,760 Speaker 5: cosmetic surgery. Women are much more likely to get various 535 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 5: types of cosmetic surgery into adulthood too, and that goes 536 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:49,239 Speaker 5: back to expectations of how girls look. Yeah, there was 537 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 5: a survey from the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry which 538 00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:56,080 Speaker 5: found that eighty four percent of women reported that they 539 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:58,800 Speaker 5: would pay money to improve the appearance of their teeth, 540 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:03,760 Speaker 5: compared to seventy five percent of men, And that was 541 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 5: linked to from a blog post over at the Beheld 542 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:10,360 Speaker 5: written by Autumn Whitefield Madrano past stuff I've Never told 543 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:14,720 Speaker 5: you guessed who was wondering in this post whether the 544 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:18,040 Speaker 5: gender gap is due to, yes, those higher beauty standards 545 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:19,720 Speaker 5: for women, and the way she put it so well 546 00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:24,040 Speaker 5: that average teeth on men are considered more acceptable than 547 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 5: average teeth on women. And the thing that got her 548 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:30,040 Speaker 5: thinking about it at least in this post was Will 549 00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:30,960 Speaker 5: Ferrell's teeth. 550 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:36,080 Speaker 4: She was watching Anchorman and if you've watched Anchorman or 551 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:38,240 Speaker 4: seen you know, anything with Will Ferrell, and you'll see 552 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:41,360 Speaker 4: that he does not he yes, pretty, his lower teeth 553 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 4: in particular, are not all in the straight line, let's 554 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 4: put it that way. 555 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:48,200 Speaker 1: But you would never. 556 00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:51,640 Speaker 4: See I can't think of a single woman I've seen 557 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:55,520 Speaker 4: on television who has that noticeably crooked teeth. 558 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:58,200 Speaker 5: And I think, and this is just a hypothesis, but 559 00:29:58,240 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 5: I think that if you did, it would because some 560 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:04,520 Speaker 5: message is being played up that this woman was a 561 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:07,560 Speaker 5: quote unquote hillbilly, or she was poor or something that 562 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:09,880 Speaker 5: if a woman's teeth looked like that on television or 563 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:13,640 Speaker 5: in the movies, it's to deliver a certain message about her, whereas. 564 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:16,520 Speaker 1: That's just that's just Will Ferrell's teeth. Well, and that's the. 565 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 4: Thing, because the more we read about teeth, the more 566 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:24,000 Speaker 4: it became apparent that even more than gender, these days, 567 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:29,440 Speaker 4: class and social status are so closely associated with the 568 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:33,280 Speaker 4: status of your teeth because you know, going way back 569 00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:36,440 Speaker 4: in time to you know, those Elizabethan women of means, 570 00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:39,960 Speaker 4: they would have those puffers to make sure that their 571 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 4: cheeks puffed out in the correct kind of way, and 572 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 4: they would have access to whatever sort of early dental 573 00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:47,400 Speaker 4: care was available. 574 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:49,960 Speaker 1: Not so for the lower classes. 575 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:53,960 Speaker 4: And that's something though, of poorer people not having access 576 00:30:54,400 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 4: to dental healthcare that remains today right. 577 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:03,000 Speaker 5: And there was a two thousand and eight study in 578 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:06,600 Speaker 5: the journal Nature that talked about the negative judgments that 579 00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:10,480 Speaker 5: we lob against people who have teeth that are darker 580 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 5: or more decayed. The darker or more decayed they are, 581 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:16,960 Speaker 5: the more negative our judgments are in terms of things 582 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:22,960 Speaker 5: like social competence, intellectual ability, psychological adjustment, and relationship satisfaction. 583 00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:24,120 Speaker 1: It's sort of a. 584 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:30,120 Speaker 5: Visible sign of inadequate access to healthcare and to taking 585 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:31,480 Speaker 5: care of oneself well. 586 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 4: And I think there are more assumptions about the taking 587 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:39,160 Speaker 4: care of oneself part that really stands out because gender 588 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:40,520 Speaker 4: in this case did not. 589 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:42,680 Speaker 1: Have a significant effect. 590 00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:46,719 Speaker 4: If you have decaying teeth, missing teeth, it has an 591 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:50,200 Speaker 4: equally negative impact on how people perceive you. And I 592 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:54,320 Speaker 4: mean especially for missing teeth, if you lose a tooth. 593 00:31:55,320 --> 00:31:59,000 Speaker 4: I've had a situation where I've shipped a tooth before 594 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 4: and you know, around for a week with a little 595 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:04,360 Speaker 4: snaggle tooth, and I knew it was going to be fixed, but. 596 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:09,160 Speaker 1: It drew so much attention really just because of one Yeah, 597 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 1: because you don't expect to see that true. 598 00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:13,520 Speaker 4: You know, we have this idea that you should have white, 599 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:16,560 Speaker 4: straight perfect teeth, because that signals that you take care 600 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:18,960 Speaker 4: of yourself, that you have the you know, the money 601 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:22,400 Speaker 4: to pay for dental visits, that you might have had 602 00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 4: braces when you were a kid, that you don't have 603 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:28,160 Speaker 4: some kind of drug habit, that you don't smoke, et cetera. 604 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 5: Right, But we don't automatically think, oh, that girl has 605 00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:33,840 Speaker 5: good health insurance and doesn't smoke or do meth. We 606 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:37,440 Speaker 5: it's just sort of tied up in our assumptions about, oh, 607 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:40,160 Speaker 5: like you said, taking care of yourself exactly. 608 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:44,280 Speaker 4: And the perfect character on Internet TV, because I don't 609 00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:47,400 Speaker 4: know if you can call Netflix TV TV who embodies 610 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:51,040 Speaker 4: this is Pensentucky on Orange is the New Black who 611 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:57,720 Speaker 4: has those stereotypical rotted out meth teeth, and it's so 612 00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:00,600 Speaker 4: much a part of her character, as well as that 613 00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:03,280 Speaker 4: entire group on Orange is the New Black that she's 614 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:04,960 Speaker 4: a part of that we all assume, you know, have 615 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:07,600 Speaker 4: had meth problems in the past, and so they have 616 00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:09,320 Speaker 4: these rotted out teeth. 617 00:33:09,520 --> 00:33:13,720 Speaker 5: But when she returns with corrected teeth, all of a sudden, 618 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:16,160 Speaker 5: she's too big for her breeches and everybody thinks that 619 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:17,840 Speaker 5: she thinks she's too good for them. 620 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, but with the with the rotted out teeth, it's 621 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:25,840 Speaker 4: this signaling that she has little education, she's not very smart, 622 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:27,440 Speaker 4: she had a drug habit. 623 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:27,760 Speaker 1: You know. 624 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:32,760 Speaker 4: It's like or even during in Halloween times when you know. 625 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:34,840 Speaker 1: They're all those false teeth at the costume. 626 00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:37,480 Speaker 4: Store, there's always a hillbilly teeth and they're you know, 627 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 4: poking out, they're missing, they're yellow, they're rotting right. 628 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:45,360 Speaker 5: And speaking to the Telegraph, Malcolm Gladwell actually cited teeth 629 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:50,400 Speaker 5: as the emerging social status signal between rich and portant. 630 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:54,560 Speaker 5: He equated them and the issue of basically dental hygiene 631 00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:57,560 Speaker 5: and how your teeth appear with obesity problems in terms 632 00:33:57,560 --> 00:33:58,360 Speaker 5: of what they signal. 633 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:01,160 Speaker 4: Yeah, he said, there's symptoms of the same set of 634 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:05,280 Speaker 4: inferences that are being drawn. So from his logic, the 635 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:10,760 Speaker 4: same way that obesity often is associated with having poor 636 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:15,880 Speaker 4: lifestyle habits, we place the same set of negative social 637 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:20,560 Speaker 4: assumptions and stigmas onto people who have less than perfect 638 00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:21,360 Speaker 4: looking teeth. 639 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:22,120 Speaker 1: And this is. 640 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:27,520 Speaker 4: Happening while the sort of Hollywood projected standards for what 641 00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:31,440 Speaker 4: your teeth should look like only you know, continue to increase. 642 00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:34,920 Speaker 4: Everyone has white, perfect teeth when you flip through a 643 00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:39,040 Speaker 4: magazine these days. But it's astonishing when you look at 644 00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:43,920 Speaker 4: the US just the lack of oral healthcare, because even 645 00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:49,440 Speaker 4: with Obamacare and universal healthcare, there's still a massive gap 646 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:53,399 Speaker 4: when it comes to dental coverage. There are around one 647 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:56,840 Speaker 4: hundred and thirty million Americans, or around forty three percent 648 00:34:56,840 --> 00:35:00,839 Speaker 4: of the population with zero dental coverage. 649 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:04,759 Speaker 5: Yeah, and forty five million Americans actually live nowhere near 650 00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:07,560 Speaker 5: a dentist, And it seems like in terms of health 651 00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:10,960 Speaker 5: care and dental care, dental is often almost like an 652 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:13,839 Speaker 5: afterthought because a lot of people who do have health 653 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,640 Speaker 5: insurance still don't have dental In two thousand and eight, 654 00:35:16,719 --> 00:35:19,560 Speaker 5: for instance, a quarter of Americans under sixty five had 655 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:24,680 Speaker 5: no dental coverage. And having dental coverage tends to be 656 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:29,200 Speaker 5: correlated with income and education, so people who have a 657 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:31,920 Speaker 5: college education, that's a big predictor of whether you will 658 00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:35,160 Speaker 5: actually have dental coverage, but that definitely doesn't mean that 659 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:36,879 Speaker 5: everyone's going to have it, And. 660 00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:41,560 Speaker 4: Even with things like Medicaid and Medicare, the dental provisions 661 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:45,359 Speaker 4: are minimal at best. There is a statistic, I think 662 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:47,960 Speaker 4: coming from the Pure Research Center, which found that in 663 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:52,040 Speaker 4: twenty eleven over half of all kids covered by Medicaid 664 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:55,480 Speaker 4: received no dental care, which might have had to do 665 00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:58,920 Speaker 4: with where they were living, because there are these massive 666 00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:02,480 Speaker 4: geographical areas is all around the US that have no 667 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:07,719 Speaker 4: dental practices, because setting up a thriving dental practice can 668 00:36:07,719 --> 00:36:11,600 Speaker 4: actually be challenging if you're not in a large metropolitan area. 669 00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:14,719 Speaker 4: But even for poor people over twenty one who can 670 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:19,000 Speaker 4: get access to Medicaid, the only dental care they can 671 00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:23,520 Speaker 4: get applies to emergency dental treatments, and even then it's 672 00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:26,440 Speaker 4: paid for only on a state by state basis. 673 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:29,879 Speaker 5: Yeah, so I mean in terms of price, The Robert 674 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:33,280 Speaker 5: Wood Johnson Foundation found that average out of pocket dental 675 00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:36,000 Speaker 5: costs are eight hundred and seventy three dollars. So basically, 676 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:39,160 Speaker 5: dental care for a lot of people a lot of 677 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:42,680 Speaker 5: people is becoming a luxury. And you have the costs 678 00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:46,719 Speaker 5: of dental care outpacing both the rate of inflation and 679 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:49,840 Speaker 5: overall medical cost increases across the board. 680 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:52,200 Speaker 4: Well, and think about it too, as you get older, 681 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:55,760 Speaker 4: you probably need to take even better care of your teeth. 682 00:36:55,960 --> 00:36:58,719 Speaker 4: But when it comes to Medicare for the elderly, they 683 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:02,560 Speaker 4: only get coverage for again, emergency dental procedures. 684 00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:04,600 Speaker 1: It doesn't even cover dentures. 685 00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:08,920 Speaker 4: So it's a little wonder then that in two thousand 686 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:13,520 Speaker 4: and nine, eight hundred thirty thousand and fifty Americans went 687 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:17,920 Speaker 4: to the er for preventable dental problems because I. 688 00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:20,080 Speaker 1: Mean, what else are they going to do? They can't 689 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:23,320 Speaker 1: there's nowhere else to go. Yeah, I yeah. 690 00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:28,560 Speaker 5: And it's especially bad when you realize, and a lot 691 00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:32,000 Speaker 5: of people might not realize that poor dental health is 692 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:34,960 Speaker 5: linked to a lot of other health problems. My father, 693 00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:39,680 Speaker 5: who has heart issues, totally preaches that people. 694 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:42,080 Speaker 1: Need to floss. It's a huge thing for him. 695 00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:47,080 Speaker 5: Because dental bacteria is linked to things like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, pneumonia. 696 00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:48,719 Speaker 1: Preterm birth. I mean, you wouldn't think it. 697 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:50,719 Speaker 5: You're like, oh, I ate some cheesy poofs and I'm 698 00:37:50,719 --> 00:37:52,319 Speaker 5: just gonna fall asleep and not worry about it. 699 00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:56,520 Speaker 1: No brush those cheep brush those cheesy poofs out. 700 00:37:57,280 --> 00:38:01,080 Speaker 4: But if you are living in a paycheck to paycheck 701 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:05,800 Speaker 4: situation or even less than clearly, you know what was 702 00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:08,319 Speaker 4: that eight hundred and seventy three dollars average out of 703 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:11,400 Speaker 4: cost dental care if you don't have insurance that's going 704 00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:15,239 Speaker 4: to be the last thing that you're going to pay for, 705 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:18,000 Speaker 4: most likely, unless it is to the point to where 706 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:21,759 Speaker 4: you are in such extreme pain that you probably. 707 00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:23,560 Speaker 1: Will have to go to the emergency room. 708 00:38:24,120 --> 00:38:26,600 Speaker 4: So it's something that we don't think about very often 709 00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:29,560 Speaker 4: at all when we just see these celebrities walking down 710 00:38:29,560 --> 00:38:34,640 Speaker 4: the red carpet with these perfectly imperfect veneers that they've 711 00:38:34,640 --> 00:38:37,680 Speaker 4: gotten for thousands of dollars, that this is actually a 712 00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:42,359 Speaker 4: huge issue and there's so much social class tied up 713 00:38:42,600 --> 00:38:47,000 Speaker 4: with that. So this modern day quest for a quote 714 00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:51,319 Speaker 4: unquote perfect smile is about so much more than looking good. 715 00:38:51,360 --> 00:38:54,600 Speaker 4: I mean, this is about basic healthcare that people are 716 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:55,880 Speaker 4: missing out on. 717 00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:59,600 Speaker 5: Okay, So now that we have thrown a bunch of 718 00:38:59,600 --> 00:39:02,520 Speaker 5: these staff, I'm interested in hearing from listeners who maybe 719 00:39:02,560 --> 00:39:07,759 Speaker 5: have felt discrimination based on their appearance there, especially their 720 00:39:08,239 --> 00:39:12,000 Speaker 5: teeth appearance. I have a friend who got a tooth 721 00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:16,399 Speaker 5: knocked out in a freak accident, and he didn't worry 722 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:18,800 Speaker 5: about getting it replaced for a while because of money issues. 723 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:20,960 Speaker 5: But then it came time to do job interviews and 724 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:23,120 Speaker 5: it's like it's not going to happen that in the 725 00:39:23,160 --> 00:39:25,239 Speaker 5: back of his mouth either, it's one of his front teeth, 726 00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:26,920 Speaker 5: and he's like, I've got to go show out some 727 00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:29,480 Speaker 5: big bucks now to get to get a fake tooth 728 00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:30,920 Speaker 5: so that I can get a job. 729 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:31,640 Speaker 1: Yeah. 730 00:39:31,680 --> 00:39:35,080 Speaker 4: Absolutely So, if you've experienced these kinds of things, or 731 00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:39,400 Speaker 4: if you are perhaps a social worker who works with 732 00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:44,920 Speaker 4: lower income communities on to target these kinds of dental issues, 733 00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:48,759 Speaker 4: we particularly want to hear from you because there is 734 00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:53,400 Speaker 4: so much more to our teeth than whether or not 735 00:39:53,440 --> 00:39:59,280 Speaker 4: we just have perfect, straight white paparazzi ready chompers. Remember 736 00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:01,920 Speaker 4: shoot me from the yes. And by the way, if 737 00:40:01,960 --> 00:40:05,080 Speaker 4: you also are a paparazzo shoe Caroline from the left 738 00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:08,560 Speaker 4: with a camera, Yes, with a camera. 739 00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:12,520 Speaker 1: So send us all of your thoughts on teeth. 740 00:40:12,680 --> 00:40:15,440 Speaker 4: Mom Stuff at howseuffworks dot com is our email address, 741 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:17,960 Speaker 4: and you can also tweet us at mom Stuff podcast 742 00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:19,640 Speaker 4: or messages on Facebook. 743 00:40:19,760 --> 00:40:21,719 Speaker 1: And we have a couple of messages to share with. 744 00:40:21,680 --> 00:40:25,840 Speaker 4: You right now about insomnia. 745 00:40:29,200 --> 00:40:30,600 Speaker 1: Well, I have a letter here from Cindy. 746 00:40:30,719 --> 00:40:33,560 Speaker 5: She says, I was so glad to hear your podcast 747 00:40:33,640 --> 00:40:35,320 Speaker 5: on Lady insomnia, more. 748 00:40:35,160 --> 00:40:36,960 Speaker 1: Specifically the idea that the. 749 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:40,480 Speaker 5: Sleep wake sleep cycle may be a natural occurrence, and 750 00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:44,520 Speaker 5: want our ancestors regularly experienced in the past, I quote 751 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:48,480 Speaker 5: unquote struggled with insomnia, becoming frustrated and anxious when I 752 00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:50,759 Speaker 5: would go through periods of awakening for several hours in 753 00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:53,320 Speaker 5: the night, for many nights in a row. My anxiety 754 00:40:53,320 --> 00:40:56,719 Speaker 5: would put me into that anxiety loop you spoke of. Recently, 755 00:40:56,760 --> 00:40:59,520 Speaker 5: I heard about Ben Franklin's nighttime adventures. I heard that 756 00:40:59,600 --> 00:41:02,799 Speaker 5: Mark Wayne also experienced great creativity in the night. 757 00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:05,480 Speaker 1: I realized that I, too, may be just one of 758 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:06,840 Speaker 1: the great snicker. 759 00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:10,080 Speaker 5: I decided to accept night wakes as normal and see 760 00:41:10,120 --> 00:41:12,600 Speaker 5: what that attitude shift might do for me. It has 761 00:41:12,680 --> 00:41:15,720 Speaker 5: been great, although there have still been a few times 762 00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:18,960 Speaker 5: when my wakefulness seemed more exhausting and less enlightening. For 763 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:21,239 Speaker 5: the most part, I now accept my night weights as 764 00:41:21,280 --> 00:41:25,120 Speaker 5: a time of peaceful reflection or let's be honest, facebook 765 00:41:25,160 --> 00:41:28,760 Speaker 5: alone time. I generally give myself one or two hours 766 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:31,320 Speaker 5: in the night of wakefulness before I shut the iPad 767 00:41:31,360 --> 00:41:34,200 Speaker 5: and attempt to sleep again. Usually that's all it takes. 768 00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:36,720 Speaker 5: Sometimes I wake again and go through my wake cycle 769 00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:39,759 Speaker 5: once more, but usually not. I awake with less frustrated 770 00:41:39,760 --> 00:41:41,840 Speaker 5: anxiety and feel more arrested than when I got the 771 00:41:41,840 --> 00:41:45,279 Speaker 5: same amount or lack of sleep, but was angry about it. 772 00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:48,200 Speaker 5: I completely agree that some forms of insomnia are much 773 00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:51,200 Speaker 5: worse than mine and much more crazy making. However, much 774 00:41:51,239 --> 00:41:54,440 Speaker 5: like accepting the pain of childbirth as normal and therefore 775 00:41:54,480 --> 00:41:58,160 Speaker 5: fearing it less even though it still hurts my accepting 776 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:00,960 Speaker 5: this sleep wake sleep cycle is does not change it, 777 00:42:01,120 --> 00:42:03,839 Speaker 5: but it changes my attitude toward it and therefore makes it. 778 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:08,160 Speaker 4: Less grading usually on my soul. So thank you for 779 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:09,479 Speaker 4: sharing your experience, Dundy. 780 00:42:09,560 --> 00:42:12,200 Speaker 5: I also thought about trying out that sleep wake sleep thing, 781 00:42:12,280 --> 00:42:15,480 Speaker 5: but I end up just lying in bed sad well. 782 00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:18,239 Speaker 4: I also have a letter here from CJ about insomnia, 783 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:20,359 Speaker 4: and though the whole thing is too long to share, I. 784 00:42:20,320 --> 00:42:22,520 Speaker 1: Did want to share some of it. 785 00:42:23,239 --> 00:42:27,000 Speaker 4: CJ writes, after a certain point, I kind of gave 786 00:42:27,080 --> 00:42:29,360 Speaker 4: up on trying to conform myself to what is considered 787 00:42:29,440 --> 00:42:32,319 Speaker 4: normal and quit inflicting the belief of others that it 788 00:42:32,360 --> 00:42:34,480 Speaker 4: was somehow a huge failing of mind that I couldn't 789 00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:37,960 Speaker 4: fall asleep by eleven PM or fall asleep within fifteen 790 00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:41,040 Speaker 4: minutes of going to bed. Society has very little sympathy 791 00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:42,600 Speaker 4: for you if you don't wake up early on a 792 00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:43,480 Speaker 4: permanent basis. 793 00:42:43,920 --> 00:42:45,440 Speaker 1: Schools and most jobs. 794 00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:48,160 Speaker 4: Start in early morning hours, and our society is permeated 795 00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:50,880 Speaker 4: with the thought that the early bird gets the worm. 796 00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:53,800 Speaker 4: I learned long ago not to mention my sleep problems 797 00:42:53,800 --> 00:42:55,960 Speaker 4: because the most common response I get is along the 798 00:42:55,960 --> 00:42:58,759 Speaker 4: lines of you must really like to stay out late partying, 799 00:42:59,040 --> 00:43:03,520 Speaker 4: which couldn't be orther from the truth. Recently, I saw 800 00:43:03,640 --> 00:43:07,239 Speaker 4: new advice for taking melatonin, using a formula based on 801 00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:09,840 Speaker 4: when you wanted to get up. This new advice times 802 00:43:09,840 --> 00:43:12,719 Speaker 4: by melatonin taking closer to eight pm, rather than the 803 00:43:12,719 --> 00:43:13,839 Speaker 4: previous advice. 804 00:43:13,560 --> 00:43:15,359 Speaker 1: For my doctors, which was to take it right before 805 00:43:15,400 --> 00:43:16,000 Speaker 1: I went to bed. 806 00:43:16,400 --> 00:43:18,600 Speaker 4: This method of taking the meltone in earlier, along with 807 00:43:18,640 --> 00:43:20,160 Speaker 4: the other things I do, like trying to wake up 808 00:43:20,200 --> 00:43:22,800 Speaker 4: at similar times every day, avoiding blue light in the evening, 809 00:43:22,840 --> 00:43:25,759 Speaker 4: avoiding eating late, getting exercise, and not doing other things 810 00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:29,080 Speaker 4: in my bedroom, et cetera, has allowed for my best 811 00:43:29,160 --> 00:43:31,600 Speaker 4: time so far in terms of sleep. Over the last 812 00:43:31,600 --> 00:43:34,439 Speaker 4: twenty years or so, I've usually been able to fall 813 00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:36,400 Speaker 4: asleep around one am, and I can also get to 814 00:43:36,400 --> 00:43:38,759 Speaker 4: my current job around nine am, so I've been able 815 00:43:38,800 --> 00:43:41,000 Speaker 4: to get around seven hours of sleep on a somewhat 816 00:43:41,040 --> 00:43:44,040 Speaker 4: regular basis, which is pretty darn good for me. With 817 00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:46,600 Speaker 4: taking the melatone in early for the first time in 818 00:43:46,640 --> 00:43:49,799 Speaker 4: my life, I actually feel a little more normal because 819 00:43:49,840 --> 00:43:52,399 Speaker 4: I usually feel sleepy before I go to bed, which 820 00:43:52,440 --> 00:43:56,319 Speaker 4: I never did before. Sleepy and physically tired are unfortunately 821 00:43:56,360 --> 00:43:59,560 Speaker 4: two different things, and I don't feel like the walking. 822 00:43:59,239 --> 00:44:00,840 Speaker 1: Dead most of the time. 823 00:44:01,280 --> 00:44:03,400 Speaker 4: So I would encourage people to try and get treatment, 824 00:44:03,560 --> 00:44:06,120 Speaker 4: maybe because it can help, but also don't beat yourself 825 00:44:06,200 --> 00:44:08,240 Speaker 4: up if it doesn't work as well as you'd hope. 826 00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:11,759 Speaker 4: Maybe try working our life more around the insomnia rather 827 00:44:11,800 --> 00:44:13,920 Speaker 4: than the other way around. And for those of you 828 00:44:13,960 --> 00:44:16,319 Speaker 4: without insomnia'd be grateful and please have a little more 829 00:44:16,360 --> 00:44:20,480 Speaker 4: sympathy for us night owls. So thanks CJ, and thanks 830 00:44:20,520 --> 00:44:23,520 Speaker 4: to everybody who's written into us. Mom stuff at Housetuffworks 831 00:44:23,520 --> 00:44:25,719 Speaker 4: dot com is our email address and for links to 832 00:44:25,840 --> 00:44:28,200 Speaker 4: all of our social medias as well as all of 833 00:44:28,200 --> 00:44:30,879 Speaker 4: our blog posts, videos and podcasts. 834 00:44:31,160 --> 00:44:33,719 Speaker 1: There's one place to go, and it's stuff Mom Never 835 00:44:33,760 --> 00:44:38,440 Speaker 1: Told You dot com. 836 00:44:38,600 --> 00:44:41,040 Speaker 4: For more on this and thousands of other topics, does 837 00:44:41,040 --> 00:44:50,040 Speaker 4: it houstuffworks dot com.