Half of all French children under five have never brushed their teeth.
« I'll say | Main | Times Select = Pigouvian tax? »
Wow
19 Sep 2007 08:08 pm
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://meganmcardle.theatlantic.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/16419
Comments (22)
I'm shocked no one has commented on this yet so...
EWWWWWWWWW!
When a close associate was growing up in Eastern Europe, the idea was that eating an apple before bed would take care of your dental hygiene needs. Even in the US, childcare manuals feel that it is necessary to tell parents to take care of baby teeth (apparently there's a traditional practice of not fussing with baby teeth, since they're falling out anyway). I can totally believe that 57% of French 5-year-olds have never brushed their teeth.
Actually, a good percentage of French people under 5 have no teeth. Plus I bet that many of those who do have someone else brush their teeth for them. Like, say, a parent.
As a Frenchman, I have to say I find this extremely implausible. Maybe it was because I came from an upper class background, but the kids I grew up with were MANIACAL about brushing their teeth, way more than I was (but then again, I have horrible teeth).
Plus, I know you were kidding about Sarkozy tackling the teeth brushing problem, but that's actually already happened. I remember when I was a kid my dad often got vouchers for free teeth exams at a public hospital for his kids. We get public service announcements to get kids to brush their teeth.
Aaaaahh, the welfare state....
At least the Economist managed to admit the claim is very skeptical given no soursework at all. Wow, this is bad journalism. Particularly from someone who has more than regularly criticized studies (that, ya know, at least explain how they got to their conclusions).
Is the study true? Who the hell knows. Maybe?
I always thought it was the British who were infamously dentally challenged.
Ehh, their parents probably brush 'em for 'em 'til they're 20. Of course, many probably never move on to doing it themselves.
Two things I remember learning when I lived in France in the 1960s:
1. In many French families everyone used the same tooth brush.
2. One-third of Paris apartments lacked a bath tub or a shower. Occupants shared a common facility "down the hall".
considering the % under 2 who birsh their teeth is going to be close to 0 this number isnt that suprising. I'm sure the number of 4 or 5 year olds who have brushed their will be much closer to 100%
This ludicrous post once again proves McArdle is a perfect fit for "Pajamas Media". They love that ferrerner-bashing stuff over there.
Uh...this is a cite from a British columnist who read something in Le Figaro written by two French dentists who cited no sources for the stat.
This is a really perfect example of how 68% of all statistics cited on the web are bull. And the corollary that you can say whatever the hell you want to about France and people will believe you. You know what they call a whopper over there?
Let me see, 50% of all children under the age of five are under the age of 2.5. Children under the age of 2.5 either don't have teeth or don't have fine motor control or have their parents' brush their teeth for them.
Anyone want to bet that the statistic is similar for the US?
Steve Kelso wrote: This ludicrous post once again proves McArdle is a perfect fit for "Pajamas Media". They love that ferrerner-bashing stuff over there.
Good news, Steve. Word on the street is that they finally have a corkscrew capable of removing your butt plug. The bad news is, it looks roughly like a lineman's post-hole driller. Best stock up on whisky.
pfc:
We don't compare ourselves to the French. We're Americans, dangit! Those cheese eating surrender monkeys are only good for helping us win our independence.
Has anyone realized that hating on France really jumped the shark a long time ago? The freedom fries episode made it clear there wasn't any rational reason for Americans to dislike France. Many of the hallowed "founding fathers" were Francophiles, and the attitude towards France really seems childish. Sure, they disagreed about going to Iraq (what a mistake--that's worked out SOO well for us) and they've not always been the bosom buddy of the US; however, what nation really HAS?
There are plenty of other nations who have been just as two-faced with the US as France. For some reason (maybe it's the beautiful women, great wine and wonderful art) France is held out for special scorn. It just seems childish to me.
"Let me see, 50% of all children under the age of five are under the age of 2.5. Children under the age of 2.5 either don't have teeth or don't have fine motor control or have their parents' brush their teeth for them.
Anyone want to bet that the statistic is similar for the US?"
Teeth come in a bit sooner than that, but your point is valid. Children teethe. They constantly chew things to relieve the pain. The activity and the salivating that go along with it make their teeth much cleaner than most adults teeth usually are. Brushing isn't necessary until teething stops. On the other hand, teaching good habits early is usually best.
I only bothered to read this post to see if something this innocuous could stir up any good commentin' venom. Sure enough!
I agree with Njorl. As a father of 6 and 3 year old boys who still have their baby teeth (6 year old just starting to lose them), the main benefit of the early brushing is to get them in the habit for later in life. I don't see any actual health benefit and only a limited hygeine benefit. And, there are some nights when the 3 year old has his mouth clamped shut and I'm trying to bribe/cajole/force the tooth brush into his mouth that I think the French have the right idea.
Now, let's see how many 15 year olds in Brest don't brush their teeth.
James Hare wrote: There are plenty of other nations who have been just as two-faced with the US as France. For some reason (maybe it's the beautiful women, great wine and wonderful art) France is held out for special scorn. It just seems childish to me.
Oh, I agree it gets over the top (shoot, I do it myself once in a while for cheap laughs, and here I'm about 95% French by ancestrage). But the French do have a way of bringing it upon themselves, mainly because their most public government figures and socialites are always seen projecting a pompously exagerated impression their capabilities and culture to the point of comedy (and also to the point that even the French Canadians can't let go of the attitude, although from what I hear, the French Canadians get a healthy dose of come-uppance if they ever actually visit France).
Here's a classic: Know what a cédérom is? Neither did the French -- until the computer CD-ROM became so ubiquitous that the actual term started entering the casual written lexicon. Since that was an untoward pollution of the purity of the French language, some linguists came along and trumpeted a "real French" phonetic replacement. I have no idea which one is actually in mainstream use, but speaking as someone whose own native tongue has casually adopted several thousand useful French words without even blinking, it's things like that shape the stereotype.
In France the state brushes your teeth for you, silly.
"Teeth come in a bit sooner than that, but your point is valid. Children teethe. They constantly chew things to relieve the pain. The activity and the salivating that go along with it make their teeth much cleaner than most adults teeth usually are. Brushing isn't necessary until teething stops. On the other hand, teaching good habits early is usually best."
It's been a long time since my kids were at that stage, but as best as I can remember, about 2-1/2 is probably as early as you can effectively start teaching toothbrushing. That puts this statistic in the realm of observations like, "Forty percent of sick days are taken on Monday or Friday", or "Half of you are below average."
Good site! I'll stay reading! Keep improving!
| 
Do you buy this statistic at all?
Posted by Klug | September 19, 2007 10:26 PM