History Main / BritishTeeth

* The British adult comic ''ComicBook/{{Viz}}'' mercilessly turned the trope on its head in a one-off strip called Crystal's Big Chance. This was about an American girl who wanted to become a cheerleader but was regarded as hideously ugly because one of her front teeth was just slightly out of line. She eventually got her happy ending and was hailed as beautiful at the end despite the enormous braces she now wore.

* In the ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9271444/1/Dark-Horse-of-the-Moons Dark Horse of the moons]]'', Ros Doyle is being courted by a brother of Daphne Moon who is posted on a Royal Navy ship visiting Seattle. When her daughter develops tooth pain on a visit to the ship, Tim Moon swings it to get her seen by the ship's medical unit, where a dentist performs a minor operation on her. Later on, Niles Crane is utterly aghast at this.
-->'''Niles Crane:''' You mean to say you took your precious little girl to a ''British dentist''? In many states that legally counts as parental neglect and child abuse!

* The two English pirates from ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' qualify. Apparently, everyone else who spent months at a time on a ship in the Caribbean had access [[EternallyPearlyWhiteTeeth to a really good dentist]]. Of course, most of the characters in the films are English so maybe it was just a part of those two pirates' character.

* ''Film/RichieRich'': Richie's English butler, Cadbury, has really sensitive teeth.
* Played with in ''Film/AcrossTheUniverse'', when Jude, a Brit, notes of the American Lucy, "My god -- you have perfect teeth!" He tells her that people back home have horrible teeth, and feigns not knowing what braces are.
* Joked about in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' DVD commentary (the one with Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan, a.k.a. "Merry and Pippin"). When commenting on the scene of Smeagol turning into Gollum, including a close-up of him devouring a fish with his mangled teeth, Dominic and Billy (who are English and Scottish, respectively) joke that the English Creator/AndySerkis used his real teeth and nails for that scene, then claiming that Scotsmen have perfect teeth used for eating haggis and biting the ends of kilts.
* ''Film/TheLadykillers1955'': Professor Marcus has very... ''unusual'' teeth (that thankfully weren't the actor's real ones).

* Seems to come up in ''Literature/TheCountOfMonteCristo''. Despite rotting in prison for over a decade, Dantes/The Count has perfect, white teeth, but in his persona as English aristocrat Lord Wilmore, he wears a fake jaw/teeth which are the opposite of this.

* When Nettie visits Britain in ''Literature/TheColorPurple'' she notes that English people tend to have crooked and decaying teeth.

* ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' lampshades this stereotype with Captain Jack Harkness saying, "You want scary? Compare teeth with a British guy." The Brits return the favour by mocking Jack for his perfect, and presumably American, set of teeth.
** Indeed, Creator/EveMyles (Gwen) has a notable gap between her two top front teeth, which some American fans made hostile comments about.

* And the jokes continued in ''Series/TheGrandTour'' when, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85GSILNh6U4 in one promo]], Clarkson points out his and May's teeth immediately mark them as British. After getting "Americanized", their new super white teeth are ''terrifying''. [[spoiler:Meanwhile, Hammond and his pearly whites escape completely untouched.]]
* John Oliver's character is the butt of these jokes in ''Series/{{Community}}''.
-->'''Professor Chang:''' Oh, shut your pompous vortex of overlapping fangs!\\
'''Duncan:''' Hey, British dentistry is not on trial here!
* Stephen Fry and [[Series/TheLateLateShow Craig Ferguson]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaQxudvOpII discussed this]], with Stephen doubting Craig was even British because his teeth looked so good and Craig commenting that they were mostly his but that things had been done to them when he passed through immigration.
* Peter Capaldi (who was also speaking with Craig Ferguson) once referred to ''Series/TheThickOfIt'' as "''Series/TheWestWing'' with bad teeth and swearing."
* On ''Series/ThirtyRock'', trying to lighten the tension on an awkward date, Liz jokes about this to a British man she met in the orthodontist's office. He's never heard the stereotype before and is offended. It's Liz Lemon, what do you expect?
* An old ''[[Series/SaturdayNightLive SNL]]'' episode had a "commercial" with Creator/MikeMyers playing the pitchman for "Hedley & Wyche, the British toothpaste." Each tube contains two teaspoons of pure cane sugar, for a smile that says, "Yum! That was good."
--> '''Chris Farley''': And it tastes great on a cracker!
* On the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' episode ''Film/SantaClaus1959'':
-->'''Narrator:''' Boys and girls from England...
-->'''Crow:''' Have rotten teeth!
* Bradley James (Arthur in ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'') has crooked teeth. Note that this does not stop his status as a MrFanservice.

* ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'': Slightly different take as George Sr. describes the British as having bad breath. Played straight as referenced by a pub called "The Crooked Fang".
* The title character in ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' correctly identifies someone as American on the basis of his tan and his teeth (they are indeed flawless and spectacularly white).
* ''Series/LifesTooShort'': One of Creator/JohnnyDepp's anti-Gervais jokes uses this as its punchline.
-->'''Depp''': What's nastier than Creator/RickyGervais's jokes? ''His teeth''.
* ''Series/HorribleHistories'': Used as a contrast between American and British soldiers in a WWII sketch. Also implied by a few Horrible toothpaste recipes, including one [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UueAyDBCnig whose main ingredient is sugar-paste.]]
* ''Series/{{Fargo}}'' season three has [[BigBad V. M. Varga]], who owes his dental hygiene to bulimia.
* Mentioned in ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD,'' when the IAmVeryBritish Leo Fitz mentions watching lots of American TV partially because of their nice teeth.

* WebVideo/EmmaBlackery

* The page image comes from one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', in which a dentist [[ScareEmStraight terrifies]] Ralph Wiggum into healthy dental habits by showing him a book titled "The Big Book of of [''sic''] British Smiles".

* In ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "The Snuke" when America gets invaded by Britain, the British army ([[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution decked out in Redcoats of course]]) have noticeably terrible teeth.
** Ditto the British nannies from "Tsst!"

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Sealab 2021}}'' episode "Let 'Em Eat Corn", Captain Shanks gets his hands on some nukes from two British guys in exchange for paying to have their dreadful teeth fixed.

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' has Jervis Tetch, or the Mad Hatter. His teeth are especially noticeable in [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries the Animated Series]], and he sports a rather nice Brit accent to boot.
* Finn from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' has rather wonky teeth (according to WordOfGod, it's because "[[IdiotHero he bites trees and rocks and stuff]]"). This got lampshaded in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Mad}}'' parody, "[[ComicBook/TheAvengers Avenger Time]]", when Captain America gets redesigned to look like Finn:
--> '''Iron Man:''' Check out your teeth. What are we, in England?

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' episode "The Deal", Gumball says that Richard's attempt to rap about his day (where the only thing he did of note was finding a fry under the sofa) was the rap equivalent of British dental work.
* At the end of Ferb's grandfather (who is British)'s flashback scene in the ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' episode "The Flying Fishmonger", a woman claims that she has to go home and not brush her teeth.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', a dentist [[ScareEmStraight terrifies]] Ralph Wiggum into healthy dental habits by showing him a book called "The Big Book of of [''sic''] British Smiles".

The reasoning behind this trope has its [[AccidentalPun roots]] largely in [[ValuesDissonance cultural differences]]. In the United States, having bad teeth is associated with extreme poverty, slovenliness, and/or drug addiction. Braces are a rite of passage for many American teenagers whose parents can afford them. Thus there is an enormous cultural stigma to not having perfect teeth. In Britain on the other hand, for various reasons, there is no such class stigma. Indeed the reverse seems to be true: having one's teeth artificially straightened and/or whitened is considered the height of vanity, and cosmetically perfect teeth are often considered [[UncannyValley unsettling]]. The American emphasis on flawless teeth is viewed as an expensive indulgence. [[note]]Although private dentistry in Britain is taking mighty steps to remedy this "lamentable" state of affairs[[/note]]

The reasoning behind this trope has its [[AccidentalPun roots]] largely in [[ValuesDissonance cultural differences]]. In America, having bad teeth is associated with extreme poverty, slovenliness, and/or drug addiction. Braces are a rite of passage for many American teenagers whose parents can afford them. Thus there is an enormous cultural stigma to not having perfect teeth. In Britain on the other hand, for various reasons, there is no such class stigma. Indeed the reverse seems to be true: having one's teeth artificially straightened and/or whitened is considered the height of vanity, and cosmetically perfect teeth are often considered [[UncannyValley unsettling]]. The American emphasis on flawless teeth is viewed as an expensive indulgence. [[note]]Although private dentistry in Britain is taking mighty steps to remedy this "lamentable" state of affairs[[/note]]

* The ''Film/AustinPowers'' films pull a few jokes of this nature on the titular spy, who has atrocious teeth. [[{{Subverted}} However, this isn't really about Austin being British, but is mainly to show how times have changed since the 1960's, when straight teeth weren't as highly prized, and also furthers the point that it's Austin's personality that makes him attractive, not his looks.]] He does some dental work before the first movie ends. But in the following movie, they revert to being horrible when Austin time travels. It's worth noting that most other British characters (from any time period) have better teeth than Austin, and the only character who complains about his teeth is the British agent Miss Kensington.

The reasoning behind this trope has its roots largely in [[ValuesDissonance cultural differences]]. In America, having bad teeth is associated with extreme poverty, slovenliness, and/or drug addiction. Braces are a rite of passage for many American teenagers whose parents can afford them. Thus there is an enormous cultural stigma to not having perfect teeth. In Britain on the other hand, for various reasons, there is no such class stigma. Indeed the reverse seems to be true: having one's teeth artificially straightened and/or whitened is considered the height of vanity, and cosmetically perfect teeth are often considered [[UncannyValley unsettling]]. The American emphasis on flawless teeth is viewed as an expensive indulgence. [[note]]Although private dentistry in Britain is taking mighty steps to remedy this "lamentable" state of affairs[[/note]]

* The ''Film/AustinPowers'' films pull a few jokes of this nature on the titular spy, who has atrocious teeth. [[{{Subverted}}]] However, this isn't really about Austin being British, but is mainly to show how times have changed since the 1960's, when straight teeth weren't as highly prized, and also furthers the point that it's Austin's personality that makes him attractive, not his looks. He does some dental work before the first movie ends. But in the following movie, they revert to being horrible when Austin time travels. It's worth noting that most other British characters (from any time period) have better teeth than Austin, and the only character who complains about his teeth is the British agent Miss Kensington.

The reasoning behind this trope has its roots largely in [[ValuesDissonance cultural differences]]. In America, having bad teeth is associated with extreme poverty, slovenliness, and/or drug addiction. Braces are a rite of passage for many American teenagers whose parents can afford them. Thus there is an enormous cultural stigma to not having perfect teeth. In Britain on the other hand, for various reasons, there is no such class stigma. Indeed the reverse seems to be true: having one's teeth artificially straightened and/or whitened is seen as something indulged in by the vain and those who have more money than they need, and cosmetically perfect teeth are often considered [[UncannyValley unsettling]]. The American emphasis on cosmetically perfect teeth is viewed as being obsessive, odd and an expensive indulgence. [[note]]Although private dentistry in Britain is taking mighty steps to remedy this "lamentable" state of affairs[[/note]]

The reasoning behind this trope has its roots largely in [[ValuesDissonance cultural differences]]. In America having bad teeth is associated with being extremely poor -- not being able to afford the dentist is like not being able to afford basic medical care. Braces are a rite of passage for many American teenagers whose parents can afford them. Thus there is an enormous cultural stigma to not having perfect teeth. In Britain, on the other hand, for various reasons, there is no such class stigma. Indeed the reverse seems to be true: having one's teeth artificially straightened and/or whitened is seen as something indulged in by the vain and those who have more money than they need, and cosmetically perfect teeth are often considered [[UncannyValley unsettling]]. The American emphasis on cosmetically perfect teeth is viewed as being obsessive, odd and an expensive indulgence. [[note]]Although private dentistry in Britain is taking mighty steps to remedy this "lamentable" state of affairs[[/note]]

Let's sing a song of praise to them -\\

The reasoning behind this trope has its roots largely in [[ValuesDissonance cultural differences]]. In America having bad teeth is associated with being extremely poor - not being able to afford the dentist is like not being able to afford basic medical care. Braces are a rite of passage for many American teenagers whose parents can afford them. Thus there is an enormous cultural stigma to not having perfect teeth. In Britain, on the other hand, for various reasons, there is no such class stigma. Indeed the reverse seems to be true: having one's teeth artificially straightened and/or whitened is seen as something indulged in by the vain and those who have more money than they need, and cosmetically perfect teeth are often considered [[UncannyValley unsettling]]. The American emphasis on cosmetically perfect teeth is viewed as being obsessive, odd and an expensive indulgence. [[note]]Although private dentistry in Britain is taking mighty steps to remedy this "lamentable" state of affairs[[/note]]

For obvious reasons, this is almost exclusively an American and British trope, as not everyone outside the English-speaking world has the same views regarding British dental health if they even care about the topic. Also note that this is a ''national'' trope, not an ethnic trope - a plurality of Americans being mostly or partially of British descent.

* The titular character from ''WebAnimation/SaladFingers''. The appearance of his teeth actually varies from frame to frame - sharp, tiny, huge, missing, etc. - but they are always ugly, yellow and somewhat crooked. Of course, Salad Fingers' nationality isn't known for sure to be British, but he is from a British flash series and has a British accent.

** Indeed, Creator/EveMyles (Gwen) has a notable gap between her two top front teeth.

In Eastern Asia, the bad teeth stereotype is heavily associated with Japanese people and either used to villainize Japanese people or PlayedForLaughs in Korean and Southeast Asian comedy. Much like Britain, Japan has lax standards on dental beauty (and coincidentally they are both island nations) and orthodontics is still a relatively recent thing. Crooked teeth are actually viewed as a positive trait in Japan with some Japanese women willing to spend thousands of dollars to have their teeth reshaped unevenly on purpose as it makes them look more childlike and thus "cuter". In older times, white teeth were generally seen as unattractive, and women concerned about their physical attractiveness would artificially ''blacken'' their teeth as part of their makeup. Much American anti-Japanese WWII propaganda picked on the Japanese people's poor dental health, this stereotype eventually evolved into the AsianBuckTeeth trope, which now instead of only targeting Japanese people conflates all [[InterchangeableAsianCultures Eastern Asian people into one monolithic bloc]].

In Eastern Asia, the bad teeth stereotype is heavily associated with Japanese people and either used to villainize Japanese people or PlayedForLaughs in Korean and Southeast Asian comedy. Much like Britain, Japan has lax standards on dental beauty (and coincidentally they are both island nations) and orthodontics is still a relatively recent thing. Crooked teeth are actually viewed as a positive trait in Japan with some Japanese women willing to spend thousands of dollars to have their teeth reshaped unevenly on purpose as it makes them look more childlike and thus "cuter". In older times, white teeth were generally seen as unattractive, and women concerned about their physical attractiveness would artificially ''blacken'' their teeth as part of their makeup. Much American anti-Japanese WWII propaganda picked on the Japanese people's poor dental health, this stereotype eventually evolved into the AsianBuckTeeth trope which now instead of only targeting Japanese people - it conflates all [[InterchangeableAsianCultures Eastern Asian people into one monolithic bloc]].

* ''Film/ShanghaiKnights'': Owen Wilson's character flirts with a pretty young English damsel, only for her to smile and send him running from her moldy choppers.

The reasoning behind this trope has its roots largely in [[ValuesDissonance cultural differences]]. In America having bad teeth is associated with being extremely poor - not being able to afford the dentist is like not being able to afford basic medical care. Braces are a rite of passage for many American teenagers whose parents can afford them. Thus there is an enormous cultural stigma to not having perfect teeth. In Britain, on the other hand, for various reasons there is no such class stigma. Indeed the reverse seems to be true: having one's teeth artificially straightened and/or whitened is seen as something indulged in by the vain and those who have more money than they need, and cosmetically perfect teeth are often considered [[UncannyValley unsettling]]. The American emphasis on cosmetically perfect teeth is viewed as being obsessive, odd and an expensive indulgence. [[note]]Although private dentistry in Britain is taking mighty steps to remedy this "lamentable" state of affairs[[/note]]

For obvious reasons, this is almost exclusively an American and British trope, as not everyone outside the English-speaking world has the same views regarding British dental health, if they even care about the topic. Also note that this is a ''national'' trope, not an ethnic trope - a plurality of Americans being mostly or partially of British descent.

* The British adult comic ''ComicBook/{{Viz}}'' mercilessly turned the trope on its head in a one-off strip called Crystal's Big Chance. This was about an American girl who wanted to become a cheerleader, but was regarded as hideously ugly because one of her front teeth was just slightly out of line. She eventually got her happy ending and was hailed as beautiful at the end despite the enormous braces she now wore.
* The cover blurb for ''ComicBook/{{Planetary}}'''s second volume claims that this trope couldn't ''possibly'' be true, because how else could Creator/WarrenEllis have ripped out nearly forty people's throats and bit out their hearts?

* The two English pirates from ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' qualify. Apparently everyone else who spent months at a time on a ship in the Caribbean had access [[EternallyPearlyWhiteTeeth to a really good dentist]]. Of course, most of characters in the films are English so maybe it was just a part of those two pirates' character.

* James Clavell {{Lampshades}} the disgusting state of British teeth in the nineteenth century in his novel of Hong Kong, ''Literature/TaiPan''. The fact the hero takes care of his teeth--something he learnt from the Chinese--is seen as an aberration, of his "going native". Meanwhile his rival actually ''dies'' of bad teeth: an untreated abscess he is "toughening out" and disregarding turns into blood poisoning. Everyone else is waiting eagerly for the day when the last few stumps can be pulled out and they'll get dentures.

* Bradley James (Arthur in ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'') has crooked teeth. Note that this does not stop his status as an MrFanservice.

* The titular character from ''WebAnimation/SaladFingers''. The appearance of his teeth actually varies from frame to frame - sharp, tiny, huge, missing etc. - but they are always ugly, yellow and somewhat crooked. Of course, Salad Fingers' nationality isn't known for sure to be British, but he is from a British flash series and has a British accent.

* [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] by "Lord Mingeworthy" from the Webvideo/BrandonRogers ''[[https://youtu.be/pqVjPy8KxfY Normal British People]]'' sketch, as he wears fake British Teeth in the hopes of looking more like a stereotypical British.

--> Belphegor. The boy (you certainly can’t call him a man) is a classic product of the British dental system. Not only does he have rodent-worthy buck teeth, the rest of his teeth are either irregular, or repaired with obvious silver fillings.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' episode "The Deal", Gumball says that Richard's attempt to rap about his day (where the only thing he did of note was find a fry under the sofa) was the rap equivalent of British dental work.

In Eastern Asia, the bad teeth stereotype is heavily associated with Japanese people and either used to villainize Japanese people or PlayedForLaughs in Korean and Southeast Asian comedy. Much like Britain, Japan has lax standards on dental beauty (and coincidentally they are both island nations) and orthodontics is still a relatively recent thing. Crooked teeth are actually viewed as a positive trait in Japan with some Japanese women willing to spend thousands of dollars to have their teeth reshaped unevenly on purpose as it makes them look more childlike and thus "cuter". In older times, white teeth were generally seen as unattractive, and women concerned about their physical attractiveness would artificially ''blacken'' their teeth as part of their makeup. Much American anti-Japanese WWII propaganda picked on the Japanese people's poor dental health, this stereotype eventually evolved into the AsianBuckTeeth trope which now instead of only targeting Japanese people - it conflates all [[InterchangeableAsianCultures Eastern Asian people into one monolithic block]].

* ''Film/TheyShallNotGrowOld'' features a lot of archive footage of British soldiers smiling at the camera during UsefulNote/WorldWarOne, providing a very clear view of the poor state of dental hygiene in the 1910s. One veteran notes that the only use soldiers found for their toothbrush was cleaning their buttons.

* Bradley James (Arthur in ''Series/{{Merlin}}'') has crooked teeth. Note that this does not stop his status as an MrFanservice.

In Eastern Asia, the bad teeth stereotype is heavily associated with Japanese people and either used to villainize Japanese people or PlayedForLaughs in Korean and Southeast Asian comedy. Much like Britain, Japan has lax standards on dental beauty (and coincidentally they are both island nations) and orthodontics is still a relatively recent thing. Crooked teeth are actually viewed as a positive trait in Japan with some Japanese women willing to spend thousands of dollars to have their teeth reshaped unevenly on purpose as it makes them look more childlike and thus "cuter". Much American anti-Japanese WWII propaganda picked on the Japanese people's poor dental health, this stereotype eventually evolved into the AsianBuckTeeth trope which now instead of only targeting Japanese people - it conflates all [[InterchangeableAsianCultures Eastern Asian people into one monolithic block]].

The reasoning behind this trope has its roots largely in [[ValuesDissonance cultural differences]]. In America having bad teeth is associated with being extremely poor - not being able to afford the dentist is like not being able to afford basic medical care. Orthodontia is a rite of passage for many American teenagers whose parents can afford it. Thus there is an enormous cultural stigma to not having perfect teeth. In Britain, on the other hand, for various reasons there is no such class stigma. Indeed the reverse seems to be true: having one's teeth artificially straightened or whitened is seen as something indulged in by the vain and those who have more money than they need, and cosmetically perfect teeth are seen as [[UncannyValley somewhat odd]]. The American emphasis on cosmetically perfect teeth is viewed as being obsessive, odd and an expensive financial indulgence. [[note]]Although private dentistry in Britain is taking mighty steps to remedy this "lamentable" state of affairs[[/note]]

* And the jokes continued in ''Series/TheGrandTour'' when, in one promo, Clarkson points out his and May's teeth immediately mark them as British. After getting "Americanized", their new super white teeth are ''terrifying''. [[spoiler:Meanwhile, Hammond and his pearly whites escape completely untouched.]]

* Avoided, defied, and averted in ''Film/BridgetJonesTheEdgeOfReason'' when [[ShesAllGrownUp Bridget recalled herself as a teenager]]: super skinny, [[TheGlassesGottaGo glasses]], and braces… and not a body brace.

* Seems to come up in ''Literature/TheCountOfMonteCristo''. Despite rotting in prison for over a decade, Dantes/The Count has perfect, white teeth, but in his persona as English aristocrat Lord Wilmore, wears a fake jaw/teeth which are the opposite of this.

In Eastern Asia, the bad teeth stereotype is heavily associated with Japanese people and either used to villainize Japanese people or PlayedForLaughs in Korean and Southeast Asian comedy. Much like Briain, Japan has lax standards on dental beauty (and coincidentally they are both island nations) and orthodontics is still a relatively recent thing. Crooked teeth are actually viewed as a positive trait in Japan with some Japanese women willing to spend thousands of dollars to have their teeth reshaped unevenly on purpose as it makes them look more childlike and thus "cuter". Much American anti-Japanese WWII propaganda picked on the Japanese people's poor dental health, this stereotype eventually evolved into the AsianBuckTeeth trope which now instead of only targeting Japanese people - it conflates all [[InterchangeableAsianCultures Eastern Asian people into one monolithic block]].

In Eastern Asia, the bad teeth stereotype is heavily associated with Japanese people and PlayedForLaughs in Korean and Southeast Asian comedy. Much like Briain, Japan has lax standards on dental beauty (and coincidentally they are both island nations) and orthodontics is still a relatively recent thing. Crooked teeth are actually viewed as a positive trait in Japan with some Japanese women willing to spend thousands of dollars to have their teeth reshaped unevenly on purpose as it makes them look more childlike and thus "cuter". Much American anti-Japanese WWII propaganda picked on the Japanese people's poor dental health, this stereotype eventually evolved into the AsianBuckTeeth trope which now instead of only targeting Japanese people - it conflates all [[InterchangeableAsianCultures Eastern Asian people into one monolithic block]].

In Eastern Asia, the bad teeth stereotype is heavily associated with Japanese people and PlayedForLaughs in Korean and Southeast Asian comedy. Much like Briain, Japan has lax standards on dental beauty (and coincidentally they are both island nations) and orthodontics is still a relatively recent thing. Crooked teeth are actually viewed as a positive trait in Japan with some Japanese women willing to spend thousands of dollars to have their teeth reshaped unevenly on purpose as it makes them look more childlike and thus "cuter". Much American anti-Japanese WWII propaganda picked on the Japanese people's poor dental health, this stereotype eventually evolved into the AsianBuckTeeth trope which conflated all [[InterchangeableAsianCultures Eastern Asian people into one monolithic block]].

In Eastern Asia, the bad teeth stereotype is heavily associated with Japanese people and PlayedForLaughs in Korean and Southeast Asian comedy. Much like Briain, Japan has lax standards on dental beauty (and coincidentally they are both island nations) and orthodontics is still a relatively recent thing. Crooked teeth are actually viewed as a positive trait in Japan with some Japanese women willing to spend thousands of dollars to have their teeth reshaped unevenly on purpose. Much American anti-Japanese WWII propaganda picked on the Japanese people's poor dental health, this stereotype eventually evolved into the AsianBuckTeeth trope which conflated all [[InterchangeableAsianCultures Eastern Asian people into one monolithic block]].

The reasoning behind this trope has its roots largely in [[ValuesDissonance cultural differences]]. In America having bad teeth is associated with being extremely poor - not being able to afford the dentist is like not being able to afford basic medical care. Orthodontia is a rite of passage for many American teenagers whose parents can afford it. Thus there is an enormous cultural stigma to not having perfect teeth. In Britain, on the other hand, for various reasons there is no such class stigma. Indeed the reverse seems to be true: having one's teeth artificially straightened or whitened is seen as something indulged in by the vain and those who have more money than they need, and cosmetically perfect teeth are seen as [[UncannyValley somewhat odd]]. The American emphasis on cosmetically perfect teeth is viewed as being obsessive, odd and an expensive financial indulgence. [[note]]Although private dentistry in Britain is taking mighty steps to remedy this lamentable state of affairs[[/note]]

* ''Film/TheLadykillers'': Professor Marcus has very... ''unusual'' teeth (that thankfully weren't the actor's real ones).