Dutch Quirk #96: Avoid going to the dentist at all costs

HomeUltimate List of Dutch QuirksDutch Quirk #96: Avoid going to the dentist at all costs

It’s often painful and expensive to visit your dentist, so what’s the point, right? Well, the Dutch have filled their objection toolkit to a whole new level.

The Dutch are one of the healthiest nations in the world, and this information alone is more than enough for most of them to convince themselves to skip all their dentist appointments. 

To be more precise, they cycle to the other side of the road when they see a dental surgery.

What is it?

If you ask a Dutchie about their dental care, you can bet they are ready with a number of reasons to explain why they haven’t been in well… a while. 

In fact, they are almost always ready to start a TED Talk to convince you why visiting the dentist is overpriced/useless/DANGEROUS. 

READ MORE: Eat cheese every day for lunch 

Some Dutchies seem to think that if you still can be a functioning member of society, why would you visit a dentist with some silly old tooth pain? 

Just sprinkle some Paracetamol on your bread along with your hagelslag, and doe normaal!  

Why do they do it?

Well, we all have been there, right? Visiting your dentist isn’t the most gezellig activity that you can think of. 

The only difference is that while in most countries, people are afraid of the dentist’s chair, but still go, the Dutchies simply skip it because they think they’ll be fine without it. 

To be fair, though, that’s not the only reason: the fact that most basic Dutch insurance plans don’t include dentistry costs might also play a role in this quirk. 🥲

Why is it quirky? 

Firstly, that sort of confidence and self-assurance is something you’ll only find in the Netherlands. 

But secondly, have you seen Dutch people’s teeth? If you walk around in the Netherlands, you can sometimes feel like you’re in a Colgate commercial.  

READ MORE: Why are the Dutch so tall?

It must be all that hagelslag! You may spend hours every morning flossing all of your teeth and doing your recommended yearly check-ups. But the Dutch are not — and still, they have that Hollywood-perfect smile.

Should you join in? 

Well… nee? Sure, you may be considered nicely integrated by declaring that dental services are simply too expensive and unnecessary for your teeth.

However, it’s still best to endure the discomfort and have that checkup to prevent something even more gross and painful! 

What do you think of this Dutch quirk? Have you experienced it? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image:Depositphotos
Mihály Droppa
Mihály Droppa
Mihály fell in love with (and in) Amsterdam, so he quit his NGO job in Budapest and moved to Amsterdam to become a journalist. His apartment is full of plants and books, two dogs, and a random mouse in the kitchen. You might find him in Vondelpark, where he spends most of his life throwing tennis balls for his vizslas and listening to podcasts. His nickname is Mex — ask him why!

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