新奇事件簿 越来越多的英国人自己修理牙齿

People in Britain can now repair their own teeth. They can buy special dental kits² in supermarkets to fix fillings (called cavities³ in the USA) and repair caps and crowns. The kits can cost as little as $7. Many people are buying these kits because they cannot afford to go to the dentist. The cost of having a tooth filled at a dentist in England can cost up to $70, which is ten times higher than the price of the dental kit¹. One of the biggest selling products is a kit called DenTek. Britons bought around 250,000 of these last year. Britain's Dental Health Foundation (DHF) said one in five people in the UK would do DIY dentistry on their own teeth or the teeth of family and friends. DIY dentistry includes actually pulling out a tooth.

如今，英国人可以自己修理牙齿。他们可以在超市中购买到能够处理龋齿、镶牙的牙具。牙具的价钱只有7美元。由于没钱看牙医，人们可以购买牙具来解决问题。在英格兰，补牙的费用高达70美元，价钱是牙具的10倍还要多。最畅销的牙具叫作“DenTek”。去年，英国人购买了25万套这样的牙具。英国牙齿保健基金会称五个英国人当中就有一个人自己处理牙齿问题，或者是帮助处理家人或朋友的牙齿问题。这些问题包括拔牙。

Britain is famous for the quality of its free health service. However, this service does not include dental work. The fact that DIY dentistry is increasing so quickly in Britain shows that there is a lot of poverty and inequality in the country. The poorest people cannot afford to go to the dentist. A spokeswoman fora local community in Scotland said: "DIY dentistry is fairly common here. They sell a lot of those dental kits – you can buy them in [supermarkets]. And you've got people taking care of their whole family's teeth." The DHF said many people would rather spend their money on a haircut or a night out than on their teeth. She said different people place different importance on visiting the dentist.

英国的免费医疗名扬海外。但是，这样的服务却不包括牙齿。事实上，自行解决牙齿疾病的趋势在英国迅速扩大，这表明有许多英国人都处于贫困水平，社会不公正。穷人没钱看牙。苏格兰当地社区发言人称：“自行解决牙病在这里非常普遍。这里销售许多牙具，你可以在超市中买到。你全家的牙病都有了着落。”英国牙齿保健基金会称人们宁愿把钱扔到剪发，晚上出玩，也不愿意花在看牙上。她说人们对看牙医的重视程度因人而异。

1 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

2 kits   

衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件

参考例句：

• Keep your kits closed and locked when not in use. 不用的话把你的装备都锁好放好。
• Gifts Articles, Toy and Games, Wooden Toys, Puzzles, Craft Kits. 采购产品礼品，玩具和游戏，木制的玩具，智力玩具，手艺装备。

3 cavities   

腔，洞( cavity的名词复数 )； （龋齿的）洞

参考例句：

• Cavities in teeth are caused by decay. 牙齿上的空洞是由龋蚀造成的。
• The dentist filled several cavities in my teeth. 牙医给我的牙堵了好几个洞 excavation 指“挖掘的洞”，如：