German Man Says Indians Have Good Dental Hygiene, Internet Divided

NDTV

27-05-2025

A Germany-based employee's Reddit post on his Indian co-workers' dental hygiene has gone viral, sparking a conversation online. In his post, the user asked: "Why do many Indians have such good teeth?". He said that he has noticed that many of his Indian co-workers have white, well-maintained teeth. He wrote that he has wondered about this for a while, and asked the Reddit community if this was because of diet, different dental care habits or traditional remedies or cultural practices.
"I've noticed that many of my Indian coworkers here in Germany have really good teeth - they're white, well-maintained, and there's never any bad breath. I've been wondering about this for a while. Is it due to diet? Different dental care habits? Traditional remedies or cultural practices? I'm genuinely curious because I've noticed this with several people, and I'd love to understand what might be behind it. Maybe someone here can share some insights or personal experiences?" the Redditor wrote.
by u/ConditionSilent3295 in indiasocial
The post quickly caught the attention of social media users, prompting several interesting remarks. While some explained the reason, others shared stories about the poor dental hygiene of people they had encountered.
"Brush twice a day and tongue clean, don't eat anything unless you brush your teeth. It was a major culture shock to me that people in western countries, especially Americans go about their day and have their breakfast before brushing their teeth in the morning. I can't even imagine doing something like that," wrote one user.
"There are so many things in daily habits such as gargling, tongue cleaning, etc. which are not so big in th west then again, there is dietary habits such as drinking milk and yet eating less cheese and meat also helps with breath and teeth hygeine," explained another.
However, one user wrote, "OP lives in a bubble. As a doctor, i can personally vouch Indians have some of the poorest dental care, coverage. Most dentists I've worked with, oropharyngeal surgeons would also concur with this view."
"lol which indians? everyone's mouth here is stained red by chewing tobacco, as demonstrated by all the wonderful red streaks on almost every public building," commented another.