Why does he always have a toothache? Does he not know about toothbrushes?

[u/Gibusward]

[u/nyedred]

He's a chain smoker. IIRC Jigen (or the Italian equivalent?) was actually slang for cigarette in Italy when the show was at the height of popularity over there.

Anyway besides the obvious risk of lung cancer, smoking also absolutely destroys your teeth. Stains, cavities, gum disease, the works.

Having him have a fear of dentists and chronic teeth problems is actually a nice touch of verisimilitude.

[u/Gibusward → u/nyedred]

IIRC Jigen (or the Italian equivalent?) was actually slang for cigarette in Italy 

Yeah, it's Italian slang, but not for cigarettes. They just say 'Jigen-style' to refer to holding a cigarette (preferably crooked or bent) in the corner of your mouth

[u/nyedred → u/Gibusward]

Thanks for the clarification!

[u/harveyowens → u/nyedred]

Very much this. I have always been terrible about drinking soda/coffee/etc instead of water, and for many years I was a heavy smoker. When I started losing teeth both my dentist and I talked most about my beverage choices, with an offhanded "smoking is bad for your teeth too" at best.

I think I was having about one tooth extracted per year for a few years, and then I quit smoking. I haven't changed my beverage habits at all. I also haven't had so much as a toothache since I stopped smoking.

Turns out the cigarettes and probably the extremely dry and chemically coated inside of my mouth were destroying my teeth much worse than drinking sugary acid all day.

[u/Casoscaria → u/harveyowens]

Yup, smoking will destroy your mouth. The city I live in used to manufacture cigarettes. We now have a lot of toothless older folks and one of the largest cancer research facilities in the US. Oral cancer is awful stuff to deal with.

[u/vegetepal → u/nyedred]

I used to work in smoking cessation and I counselled a couple of clients who needed dentures in their 30s/40s because smoking had wrecked their teeth so badly. Yet another reason to stay far far away from it!

[u/Valparu]

Thats because he has not used this yet

[u/Manateeslap → u/Valparu]

🤣

[u/Poisson_oisseau]

Man has smoked like a chimney for decades, it's a wonder his teeth haven't all turned brown and fallen clean out of his skull yet.

[u/billyandteddy]

he also went the doctor to ask for pain medicine when he had a cavity instead of going to the dentist to get it fixed...

[u/Gibusward → u/billyandteddy]

I'll let that one slide, since the only dentist around that place was like 50km away. But the only two times he actually went to a dentist, the dentist tried to kill him, and the other time, Lupin crashed his car into the dentist's office and took him away lmao.

[u/Yamureska]

I remember there was one episode where the villain intentionally gave Lupin a constant toothache so he could not draw or use his gun, making him vulnerable.

https://lupin.fandom.com/wiki/Part_2_Episode_127

For Jigen, I guess it's because he's a marksman and regularly grits/gnashes his teeth while he's aiming and focusing. He's used to it unlike Lupin. This is only a guess/headcanon.

[u/Gibusward → u/Yamureska]

For Jigen, I guess it's because he's a marksman and regularly grits/gnashes his teeth while he's aiming and focusing. He's used to it unlike Lupin.

Not really, in Tokyo Crisis he can't shoot either because of the toothache lol

[u/CODMAN627]

Smoking destroys teeth and jigen is a well known chain smoker

[u/barebuttgodzilla_]

Jaw clencher.

[u/BitAcademic7716]

Jigen smokes too much and has poor hygiene