Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Wrench]

Adults in Korea seem to have pretty good teeth but the children here have some god awful looking teeth. My Kids have some of the nastiest, blackest and the most capped teeth I have ever seen in my life.

[Freezer Burn]

Next time you go shopping have a look at what goes into a normal families trolley, thats your answer.

[ChimpumCallao]

i think it might be something else...any ideas/links/quotes RR?

American kids are notorious for eating junk, and all my younger bros and sis's do too...but they are not rocking the spotted rock sandwhich grins that so many do here...

could it be lack of calcium? genetics? hagwon priorities overriding dentist visits? im actually pretty curious...it seems more prevalent in asia...

honestly, i dont think teeth are that much of a priority here, at least not as much as in the west. i assume most people would rather have a nice haircut and big eyes than straight pearly whites. just from observations i see from well manicured (and surgically enhanced) Koreans with teeth that would make Lil John grimace.

[Ekuboko]

Don't forget the candyfloss man waiting outside the school gates, and the cheap cheap slushies and ice creams they're downing after school in between hagwon classes... as well as the big offender: lollipops. Having one of those constantly sitting in their mouths is a recipe for rot. I've seen mothers giving lollipops to their not-even-kindergartner kids (i.e. still in a stroller) and it makes me sad.

[Jeonnam Jinx]

I questioned by co-workers about this before. They explained that some people consider it a waste of time and money to provide dental services for baby teeth, as they are going to simply fall out anyway.

As was already said, the vast majority of teenagers and adults here have quite good dental hygiene.

(Not talking about the older ajummas with those awful-colored fillings). Let's not go there. (Although, I've been told they safer than the white-colored fillings). But, as I said, that's what I've been told. No way to verify the authenticity.

[Real Reality]

[Grotto]

lack of flouride in the water

In Canada where flouride is in the tap water tooth decay is minimal. However there has been a significant increase in cavities and tooth decay linked to bottled water use.

[Ekuboko]

[ulsanchris]

When i worked in a poorer area all the kids, well most of them, had rotten teeth. They had awful teeth. Now I work in one of the richest areas of the city and only one kid has bad teeth.

[SPINOZA]

I've never even noticed.

I bet K-kids are infinitely healthier than kids back home, mind you.

[BigBlackEquus]

Grotto is exactly on the money.

Somehow I have the feeling that if the Korean gov't decided to start putting floride in the water, we'd have mass demonstrations by Korean dentists protesting cuts in income.

I had pretty good teeth until I came here. Brushing twice a day isn't enough. You need to do it thrice, and take calcium pills if you don't drink milk.

I used to drink lots of milk at home. Here, it just tastes darned yucky and is really fatty, unless you pay a lot for the right stuff.

And those nice Korean adult teeth you see probably look that way because they're covered with 4 million in porcelain veneers.

[Hater Depot]

In the two years before I came to Korea, I had excellent brushing habits and drank only fluoridated tap water but got two cavities each year. In Korea I got no cavities despite brushing and flossing less often and drinking more beer and soda. Maybe I just got lucky though.

[rok_the-boat]

My kid's friends have mouths full of fillings. My kid (5), born here, has none.

[SPINOZA]

The floride issue is rather a worry. I too have become concerned about needing to brush my teeth more than twice per day. I thought it was more to do with the rice sticking to my teeth but perhaps there's more to it. Oh dear.