Hard to say; I think that there's a high degree of mental transference, but there's not too much evidence either way as Exarchs only rarely remove their armor.

The comment sounded more daft than troll.

I assure you, I said that with the intent of being trollish, whether or not you thought it was trollish is a debatable point.

Now a thing like: "Eldar are wusses" is not trollish, it's daft. I certainly wouldn't want to fight one.

I would, but I'm crazy, soooooooooooooooooooo...........................................yeah...

-Twilight Storm

So, I am here for an explanation. Can any of you explain the teeth-whitening obsession (which is what it looks like to most people over here) in the USA?

Not really. I personally am interested in whitened teeth, but that's because I have somewhat discolored teeth from probably around a decade of poor dental habits.

For the average American, I'd guess that between the voluminous amounts of coffee and other darkly-colored liquids, they either think they, or actually do, have discolored teeth, which is a somewhat unattractive feature. In an effort to make themselves more attractive/desirable, they have their teeth whitened in any number of ways, ranging from a dental procedure done by an actual dentist, to DIY-whitening strips or toothpaste/mouthwash which promotes whitening.

Americans are vain.

Simple as that, Oatesy.  I myself an american, but only by birth.  Why be a loyal american, when americans are the people that screw me over on a day to day basis...including trying to run me over on my bicycle at least once a day...

-Twilight Storm | Is in a bad mood and doesn't know why...

... that happens everywhere I'm afraid Storm. There are always people poised to make a killing out of someone else in any country, though the number of such people varies country-to-country. Bad drivers (which means aggressive or simply incompetent) can be found everywhere, not always driving cars.

Hmm... what got me thinking about it was somebody was criticising someone else (I think on Youtube or something) for having "bad teeth," and telling them to get them whitened. To me, as a dirty-toothed Briton (as the stereotype goes) his teeth looked like natural, well-looked-after teeth. Not gleaming, but certainly not dirty in any way.

Can't explain it.

Myself and my family found this to be especially true; in Mississippi, my mom&sister saw someone playing chicken with an 18-wheeler just to go to a Dairy Queen (ice cream place).

Then, just a couple of days ago on my moms birthday, we saw a person driving on the wrong side of the road, though I can't remember why they might have done so.

And this second incident was in California, some two thousand miles away.

EDIT: forgot about this bit-

Hmm. For me, I can noticeably tell that my teeth are slightly yellowed, due to around a decade of relatively poor dental habits on my part.

I think that you'll agree that yellow-ish teeth are not particularly attractive. Though I was unaware that the British stereotype included dirty teeth.

A couple of days ago, I drove my car to California and then proceeded to drive down the wrong side of the road.

Well yes, if your teeth are yellow it can look bad, but from what I gather gleaming white seems to be the acceptable level to those in the US concerned with such things.

Anyway, the root of the stereotype is apparently from WW2, where a lot of US soldiers will have mixed with a lot of British soldiers, many from lower-down the social ladder. Then add the fact that Britain had been under seige for a large portion of the war and it's easy to imagine that at such a time dental hygiene was not amazing amongst the aforementioned British soldiers.

And of course, opinions are often difficult to lose once they're firmly established between generations.

I have heard of one American who stains his teeth yellow in order to look like he was smoking. I have absolutely no idea where I heard this, though.

You can tell that someone does not have very good dental hygiene when their teeth are a nearly transparent shade of blue. This would be more embarrassing to me than to have dark yellow teeth.

I've got some of the worst teeth I know of.  (Although I stopped brushing them after one collapsed into itself...now I can't eat anything on the left side of my mouth...)  But as for what they look like, look pretty normal to me.

-Twilight Storm

"Gleaming white", is, IMO, overkill and, IIRC, actually unhealthy, depending on the method by which said whiteness is procured.

Yeah, getting bombed to oblivion and back is going to pretty unhelpful for dental, or really most forms, of hygiene.

So, let me see if I've got this right: you were brushing your teeth, and then one of your teeth 'collapsed' in upon itself, presumably becoming a small nub of enamel that is embedded in your gums?

I think you may need some serious dental help.

QFT

So Whiskey, World Eaters or Black Templars for if I start doing Warhammer again?

Hmmm. One of both to start, I think. Then we swap one in for a while, after which we drop the other in, in an alternating sequence.

Well, it's not that big a deal since it happened about 8 months ago. 

-Twilight Storm

Errm I meant as in the actual models, but I can write up a little thing with a Khornate CSM.

Not sure about writing for loyalists though. I can't really empaphise with the blind devotion side of them.

And you've been reportedly unable to eat with the left side of your mouth this entire time? I'd say that's a big deal.

See a dentist. Srsly.

I'm not sure what you're saying with the "actual models" bit. Please explain.

It can be tricky. Personally, I tend to either go full-on and tell it from the Astartes perspective, or only have a couple of them in a relatively minor role, in my fics, if they appear at all.

Case in point: A Trader's Gambit and a 'plot-bunny' that's been sitting in the Skunkworks for a few weeks. A Trader's Gambit features a squad of Salamanders Marines, but they are secondary characters, and don't get a whole lot of screen time. In contrast, the 'plot-bunny' I've got is going to be told from the perspective of an Astartes who ends up in the Mass Effect universe.

I don't like doctors of any kind...I won't see a dentist until I can't eat out of the right side.  (And even then will seriously concider a straw first...or a pair of pliers...)

-Twilight Storm

They're there to be used Storm. I think losing function in half of your jaw is pretty serious. Seriously, check it out. Tooth repair (be it fillings, implants) is surprisingly cheap over here (just before we pull the NHS card, they'll only pay for these dodgy metal fillings that have magnesium or lead or something else potentially poisonous in them), so it should be a steal in the States. You just need the money for a consultation session, and the money for the actual operation. Of course, I'm not expecting you to go out and spend your money on the whim of some guy off the internet, but think about it. What do you do when something goes wrong with the other side of your mouth? It's easier cheaper to fix the small problem and prevent it from going wrong in the other teeth than to replace half your teeth.

HAHAHAHA

I need a car. Please buy me one.

Subtle, but compelling. I like it.

Sure thing...just one problem...

I HAVE $10 AND NO JOB RIGHT NOW...

Oh, and I hate cars...I am convinced that when I die, it will be because I was run over by a city transit bus full of doctors talking on their cell phones...

-Twilight Storm