Think Again: Austin Powers

Posted By Blake Hounshell Tuesday, October 23, 2007 - 6:27 PM Share

Americans have many stereotypes about British people, but one misconception that has become particularly widespread in recent years is that Brits have bad teeth. Not so, as this map of "Decayed, missing or filled teeth at age 12 (DMFT-12 index)" in European Union countries shows. It's Eastern Europeans who need to brush and visit the dentist more often.

You can check out the British public health study from which this map is taken here. And you may be surprised to learn that the United Kingdom scores better than the United States on the DMFT Index: Brits best American 12-year-olds by a score of 1.1 to 1.4 (lower is better), according to the World Health Organization.

EXPLORE:TUESDAY MAP, EUROPE, PUBLIC HEALTH

Passport, FP’s flagship blog, brings you news and hidden angles on the biggest stories of the day, as well as insights and under-the-radar gems from around the world.