Middle-age men and their missing molars
I've only dated one man in the last year who hasn't been missing at least one tooth. And I've dated a few.
It goes like this. Introductions over, perhaps sit and chat for a bit. You say something worthy of a LOL, or more likely, he says something he thinks is funny, he arches his head back and opens his mouth. Your first magic moment together. And bingo, there it is! Or rather, there it isn't. No matter how many times I see that 'space' I'm always shocked. 4th or 5th tooth back from the midline, usually upper mandible. Always obvious.
These men have good cars (yes, they tell me), they're reasonably employed, ok clothes and hygiene...but their teeth! When you look at the Australian statistics, it's undoubtedly the poor who are missing teeth - adults without private health insurance, those on lower incomes and those who are eligible for public dental care have more missing teeth (1).
The cohort available to me on RSVP. Usually lower socioeconomic group, middle-aged. Men with jowls, round guts, plenty of beards, and missing teeth. Sometimes racist. Often dumb. The same men who demand my full-length photo before a date. The men who yearn for/insist on a woman younger than themselves. The men who are obsessed with my age and my looks. The men who comment without fail on my naked body. "I like it," "I don't," "It's reasonable given your age." Toothless, usually bald men who make suggestions on how I should wear the hair on my head and the hair between my legs.
However, amazingly I continue to forge ahead. Often depressing, sometimes soul-destroying, always interesting. Someone has to record this shit.
Update: Dave (47yo RSVP) has just contacted me for the first time via text message. He says he's just spent the last hour in the dentist chair and has a rather numb mouth. He won't be able to chat tonight but he'll give me a call tomorrow.
Update update: Date with Dave Sunday afternoon. Dave has a missing tooth. 5th tooth back from the midline, upper left mandible. Had enough time to count back from the midline, given that the conversation was all about Dave. Except Dave was a little different - he didn't own a car, didn't dress well, and he smelt like he'd spent the night at a bonfire.
It goes like this. Introductions over, perhaps sit and chat for a bit. You say something worthy of a LOL, or more likely, he says something he thinks is funny, he arches his head back and opens his mouth. Your first magic moment together. And bingo, there it is! Or rather, there it isn't. No matter how many times I see that 'space' I'm always shocked. 4th or 5th tooth back from the midline, usually upper mandible. Always obvious.
These men have good cars (yes, they tell me), they're reasonably employed, ok clothes and hygiene...but their teeth! When you look at the Australian statistics, it's undoubtedly the poor who are missing teeth - adults without private health insurance, those on lower incomes and those who are eligible for public dental care have more missing teeth (1).
The cohort available to me on RSVP. Usually lower socioeconomic group, middle-aged. Men with jowls, round guts, plenty of beards, and missing teeth. Sometimes racist. Often dumb. The same men who demand my full-length photo before a date. The men who yearn for/insist on a woman younger than themselves. The men who are obsessed with my age and my looks. The men who comment without fail on my naked body. "I like it," "I don't," "It's reasonable given your age." Toothless, usually bald men who make suggestions on how I should wear the hair on my head and the hair between my legs.
However, amazingly I continue to forge ahead. Often depressing, sometimes soul-destroying, always interesting. Someone has to record this shit.
Update: Dave (47yo RSVP) has just contacted me for the first time via text message. He says he's just spent the last hour in the dentist chair and has a rather numb mouth. He won't be able to chat tonight but he'll give me a call tomorrow.
Update update: Date with Dave Sunday afternoon. Dave has a missing tooth. 5th tooth back from the midline, upper left mandible. Had enough time to count back from the midline, given that the conversation was all about Dave. Except Dave was a little different - he didn't own a car, didn't dress well, and he smelt like he'd spent the night at a bonfire.
(1) http://www.aihw.gov.au/dental/healthy-teeth/
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