“Hollywood smile” refers to the toothy smile of Hollywood movie stars, which is usually accompanied by neat, white and bright teeth. During the Great Depression, the American film industry rose. The most famous child star at the time, Shirley Temple, and President Roosevelt’s smiling photo in the White House became a symbol of the united and optimistic American spirit during the Great Depression and the difficult period of World War II. “Hollywood smile” gradually entered the society, and white and beautiful teeth attracted the attention of most Americans. However, it is not easy to have a perfect set of teeth to support the “Hollywood smile”. It requires the dual support of dental care and medical insurance, as well as the shoulder-to-shoulder escort of dentists and the medical community. Due to the particularity of the American social economy, medical system, eating habits and other factors, dental problems are no longer a topic of concern for people in simple pursuit of health. It has become a label to distinguish classes and a symbol of social structural contradictions.
Writer Mary Otto regards teeth as a tool for human survival, and the absence of teeth will make humans suffer for a lifetime. It is true that dental problems can bring great inconvenience and pain to people – people with dental diseases find it difficult or even impossible to find a job; poor patients who cannot afford dental treatment can only endure toothache. However, with the evolution of society, the improvement of economic strength and the development of dental technology, the rich class has economic support, policy bias and technology possession, and almost does not have to face the pain caused by dental problems.
Therefore, the discussion of dental problems is not only limited to the concern for dental health and the technology of dental treatment, but also extends to social class, medical insurance and other aspects. In the book “The Dilemma of Teeth: A Documentary of American Dental Problems” (written by Mary Otto, translated by Chen Lu, published by Shanghai Education Press in 2024), the author Mary Otto integrates the development of dental health into the lives of the public. Through the discussion of typical cases and landmark events, she presents the readers with the long and tortuous road of dental health in the United States, and reveals how dental problems have evolved from simple physiological pain to social and political issues, and the transformation process of dental problems from public health issues to commercialized beauty needs, so as to further explore the complex power relations and social structures behind dental health and beauty.
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