Article! Yaeba!

Today, I have decided that I'm not just going to post a lesson, but I'm going to post an interesting article based on Japanese culture. I've decided that today's topic would be based on Yaeba: Crooked Teeth in Japan.

Japan, The land of the Red Rising Sun, and crooked teeth?!

In western nations, crooked teeth is frowned upon, and those who have them seek to adjust them as soon as possible, back to conformity. However, in Japan, this is not always the case.

Bracers are very uncommon in Japan, however dental hygiene visits are typically less frequent in Japan also. Yaeba, the state in which "wildly crooked teeth, especially when the front teeth overlap or when there's an extra tooth or two are growing out of the upper gums, are called Yaeba." (Thanks to http://www.julieinjapan.com for that definition). It's an aspect of Japanese culture which is seen as cute, and something to desire.

Gladly, bracers are beginning to become more and more popular in Japan, as dental hygiene becomes more emphasized. However, the yaeba trend in Japan is still as strong as ever. The issue is with dental awareness, as opposed to funding and resources, Japan is an immensely wealthy nation. What's your personal opinion of Yaeba? Personally, I think it's pretty kawaii, however, I believe that bracers are an essential innovation which should be used to sustain adequate dental hygiene.