41–50 of 60 posts
Something I've chatted to about with fellow UK folk occasionally (insert joke about "English teeth" here) is how, from our perspective some USA folk's teeth seem to cross the uncanny valley in the wrong direction. They're so white and so even they look false to our eyes.
Optometrists aren't too happy about Warby Parker either. This seems like the Internet being the Internet for the benefit of the consumer.
Orthodontics, on the other hand, seem very much to me to require a different relationship with the dental professional. I'm not so sure the "Warby Parker for teeth" notion is accurate here, nor desirable.
I had braces for six years, and if I had to get my teeth straightened today, I would probably go this route. Don't forget, braces mean: - More cost - Monthly trips to the orthodontist The physical act of having to go to the orthodontist every month for years costs you time and money in terms of gas, parking, etc, not to mention the time cost. Think of your schedule today. Can you fit in another 2-3 hour monthly appoi…
It astounds me that in all the years of braces being in use they haven't found a way to make them less ugly. It's like they're frozen in time.
So there's probably not, historically, been much demand. The parents don't want to spend extra on making the stuff look nice, so they just tell their children to put up with it. And their children don't really have another option, so they put up with it. "Character-building" was the stock phrase my school teachers and parents would use for stuff like this.
I'm sure I've seen people with whitened fixed braces (perhaps made out of plastic rather than metal?), so clearly there have been at least some attempts to make them look less ugly - but I'm not sure it represents a huge improvement. If that costs extra, it's not great value.
The thing that bothers me is things like this: "the American Association of Orthodontists, a trade group, warned consumers against moving teeth without an initial exam and continuing supervision by an orthodontist. “Our concern is that patients who don’t see an orthodontist for regular checkups and/or for a complete diagnosis are more likely to be harmed,” said Dr. Rolf Behrents, a spokesman for the association" Ever…
The other reason people don't see these professionals is time, and under the Australian medicare system at least, there's a problematic time/cost tradeoff system. My last visit to a doctor went like something like this (it's been a while, excuse any slight irregularities): 1. Take a day off at your own expense to see the doctor 2. Submit a claim to medicare 3. Get called into medicare office because my medicare card…
Check out my.gov.au and get digital with government services.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It astounds me that in all the years of braces being in use they haven't found a way to make them less ugly. It's like they're frozen in time.
Virtually everybody I know who's had braces on their teeth had them when they were 13, 14, 15 years old - presumably at that point your adult teeth are through but they (and you!) are still new enough to be flexible. So there's probably not, historically, been much demand. The parents don't want to spend extra on making the stuff look nice, so they just tell their children to put up with it. And their children don't…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The other reason people don't see these professionals is time, and under the Australian medicare system at least, there's a problematic time/cost tradeoff system. My last visit to a doctor went like something like this (it's been a while, excuse any slight irregularities): 1. Take a day off at your own expense to see the doctor 2. Submit a claim to medicare 3. Get called into medicare office because my medicare card…
The last time I saw a doctor -late last year- the payment was processed at the counter on the way out and I received payment from Medicare in to my bank account two todays later. Check out my.gov.au and get digital with government services.
I don't know what they're doing, and I'm not really interested in wading through mygov again after the pain in the arse it made submitting tax last year unless I have to.
If going to the doctor isn't easy, then I'll only go when I have a problem. When I do go, I'll pay full price myself, so I don't have to deal with Medicare.
Something I've chatted to about with fellow UK folk occasionally (insert joke about "English teeth" here) is how, from our perspective some USA folk's teeth seem to cross the uncanny valley in the wrong direction. They're so white and so even they look false to our eyes.
The whitening can be over the top, but have you seen a young person with crooked teeth? I feel my 'characteristic' smile really ages me :).
I had braces for six years, and if I had to get my teeth straightened today, I would probably go this route. Don't forget, braces mean: - More cost - Monthly trips to the orthodontist The physical act of having to go to the orthodontist every month for years costs you time and money in terms of gas, parking, etc, not to mention the time cost. Think of your schedule today. Can you fit in another 2-3 hour monthly appoi…
Your case was probably "complicated". You probably wouldn't have been a good candidate for mail order braces.
Something I've chatted to about with fellow UK folk occasionally (insert joke about "English teeth" here) is how, from our perspective some USA folk's teeth seem to cross the uncanny valley in the wrong direction. They're so white and so even they look false to our eyes.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have better than average dental coverage and a pretty good dentist. The crowding in my lower front is starting to cause problems. Even with coverage, Invisalign would be 4-5K out of pocket. Faced with that or putting the money in my 401 or 529 - cheerio offending tooth when the time comes, it's been a pleasure chewing with you. I didn't know about the mail order option. Definitely going to look in to it. As an asid…
South Asians also have overbite, even in regions where people still eat with their hands. The thesis of the article in The Atlantic seems preposterous.
Does not seem applicable to the South Asian food I'm familiar with.