New Maxwell post - more cleaning house!

[gardenvarietycitizen]

Um, unless Mary's teeth were causing her pain or problems eating, why would leaving them alone constitute neglect? My teeth are not very white and are very uneven, but they work fine and I have better things to spend my money on - and this is with cheaper NHS dental care, I can't imagine how expensive US dentistry is.

I hear ya. I find the American obsession with straight perfect white refrigerator door teeth to be over the top, myself, but... I guess it's all about the norms you're raised in. Eye teeth coming out above the other teeth is considered cute some places!

Though, I was raised to not show my teeth either, if I laugh, I cover my mouth. I realize it's a strange foreign habit now but it's just really ingrained in me.

[Witsec7]

Straight teeth have become a big deal here in the US. When I worked for a staffing company, straight teeth was often a desired "trait" employers looked for when hiring for positions such as front office/receptionist. Sad but true.

When I was doing volunteer work for a DV program we had a client who after defying all odds, completed college and was successfully raising her kids after years of poverty and homelessness. Once she got her degree, she had little success in gaining employment in a field that required public contact. Her teeth were a mess, crooked, discolored, some missing. A local women's philanthropic organization raised funds to buy her new teeth. Second interview after dentures she was hired. She later went on to serve two terms as president of the org. that helped her.