Today was my last trip to the dentist for a year. It was just a routine cleaning, but it got me thinking about teeth, specifically German teeth. I'm not a fan of the dentist, I mean who likes to try and have a conversation while the peppy dental hygienist has little, metal torture tools in your mouth? But still, I do enjoy eating and all of the other luxuries that go along with healthy teeth. So how do Germans deal with their pearly whites?
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| Hello host family! |
German dentists are excellent. According to all of the websites for expats living in Deutschland, it takes quite a bit of work to become a professional in the oral health field. When it comes to toothpaste, I'm a Crest fan myself. Apparently in Germany Crest is called "Blend-a-Med," even though it's the same product because of some European business partnership involving Crest. But enough of the boring stuff, let's talk water!
Something I find interesting is that Germany doesn't fluoridate its water. It does fluoridate over half of domestic salt, but I know that personally I use water on a more regular basis than salt. Everyone drinks water. Hopefully every day. The US doesn't fluoridate salt, but over 70% 0f Americans drink fluoridated tap water.
Salem-Keizer fluoridates its water. As long as the fluoride levels are monitored, I think it has the potential to be a lifesaver, especially for the very poor. The Centers for Disease Control considers fluoridation "one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the 20th century." That must mean something.
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| These maps show the fluoridation levels amongst states in 1992 and 2006. |
Do you know who used to fluoridate water? The German Democratic Republic, aka East Germany. I couldn't find any information about dental health in East Germany compared to the West, which would be an interesting signifier of fluoride's potential effects.
Some arguments against water fluoridation say fluoridated water tastes worse. I can't say whether that's true or not, but Salem's water is tasty. The worst tap water I've ever had was in Orlando, Florida. Certain areas of California have funky tasting tap water, too.
In the end, water fluoridation may not be as big of a deal in Germany as it is in the US. A waiter won't bring tap water in a German restaurant, which is a major cultural difference. Apparently tap water there is very inexpensive compared to other European countries, but Germans prefer bottled water by far. I don't understand that attitude (yet). And of course I'm hoping for good dental health while abroad, but I'm also really hoping the German tap water is as good as it is in Oregon.
