Soon to be the US with socialized medicine. Hubby is British. When he was a kid and had tooth decay....the ‘dentists just yanked ‘em. He had a HARD time here going to the dentist and had to be sedated for any kind of work. He calls the dentists in the UK “sadists”.
There are quite a few FReepers who make spiteful comments about British teeth (or the lack thereof) - don’t know why someone without teeth would need toothpaste;)
The root of the problem was non-fluoride in the water supply. And yes, British dentists did very little restorative work - mostly ‘yankees’ which is where the term originated for US GIs. It was drill and fill or pull and fit with a complete set of dentures. I believe dentistry has improved in the UK. Family members have great smiles.