Infant oral mutilation explained

Infant oral mutilation (IOM) is a dangerous and sometimes fatal dental procedure performed by some practitioners of traditional medicine in many areas of Africa.[1]

Description

Typically, a parent may take a sick child to a traditional healer, who will look in the child's mouth and attribute the illness to "tooth worms". The healer will point out the small, white, developing tooth buds as being "tooth worms", and then dig the "worms" out of the gums without local anesthesia and using a non-sterile tool (normally a bicycle spoke).[2] The canine teeth are often the ones pointed out, as they are more prominent. The removed tooth buds are then shown to the parent, their small, milky appearance somewhat resembling worms.[3]

Harm

This practice inflicts pain and suffering on a child who may already be sick (or teething), and in some cases it is carried out on a healthy child in a bid to prevent future illness. The unhygienic methods can cause bloodstream infections, tetanus, pass on HIV, and can on occasion be fatal during or after the procedure.[4] The underlying permanent tooth buds can be damaged or eradicated, causing lifelong dental problems.[5] Dental care providers, especially outside Africa, may not necessarily be equipped with the knowledge or skills to diagnose and manage the consequences of this procedure.[6] In addition, if there is an existing illness, the child may not receive the medical attention necessary.

Geographic extent

There is published evidence of IOM occurring in Chad,[7] DR Congo, Ethiopia,[8] Kenya,[9] Rwanda,[10] Somalia,[11] Sudan,[12] Tanzania[13] and Uganda.[4] It has also been observed in African immigrants now living in France,[7] Israel,[6] [14] USA,[15] Australia,[16] Norway,[17] New Zealand[18] and the UK.[11] [19]

A Literature analysis of the above published papers with full references is available online.[20]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Wordley . J . Infant oral mutilation . 3 . 2 . 2003 . Developing Dentistry . 19–20 . 2011-05-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110105040150/http://www.fdiworldental.org/sites/default/files/media/devdent0203_0.pdf . 2011-01-05 . dead .
  2. Ellis . J. . Arubaku . W. . 10.1258/004947505774938701 . Complications from traditional tooth extraction in South-western Uganda . Tropical Doctor . 35 . 4 . 245–246 . 2005 . 16354490 .
  3. Abusinna . I. . Lugbara teeth germectomy of canines for the newborn babies. A magico-religious phenomena in some African tribes . Egyptian Dental Journal . 25 . 3 . 209–214 . 1979 . 299152.
  4. 10.1046/j.1365-3156.2000.00625.x . Iriso . R. . Accorsi . S. . Akena . S. . Amone . J. . Fabiani . M. . Ferrarese . N. . Lukwiya . M. . Rosolen . T. . Declich . S. . 'Killer' canines: The morbidity and mortality of ebino in northern Uganda . Tropical Medicine and International Health. 5 . 10 . 706–710 . 2000 . 11044265. 21050332 . free .
  5. Welbury . R. . Nunn . J. . Gordon . P. . Green-Abate . C. . "Killer" canine removal and its sequelae in Addis Ababa . Quintessence International. 24 . 5 . 323–327 . 1993 . 8362046.
  6. Dinur. N. . Becker . T. . Levin. A. . Zadik. Y. . Itzhak . JB. . Azizi. H. . Long-term dental implications of infant oral mutilation: a case series . British Dental Journal . 231. 6 . 335–340 . 2021. 34561584 . 10.1038/s41415-021-3456-3.
  7. Khonsari . R. H. . Corre . P. . Perrin . J. P. . Piot . B. . Orthodontic Consequences of Ritual Dental Mutilations in Northern Tchad . 10.1016/j.joms.2008.06.098 . Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery . 67 . 4 . 902–905 . 2009 . 19304055 .
  8. Children’s teeth and their care. Document produced by NCTPE (National Committee of Traditional Practices of Ethiopia 1997
  9. Hassanali . J. . Amwayi . P. . Muriithi . A. . Removal of deciduous canine tooth buds in Kenyan rural Maasai . East African Medical Journal . 72 . 4 . 207–209 . 1995 . 7621751.
  10. Benzian . H . World Dental Development Fund Rwanda Project Visit Report . 3 . 2 . 2003 . Developing Dentistry . 21–3 . 2011-05-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110105040150/http://www.fdiworldental.org/sites/default/files/media/devdent0203_0.pdf . 2011-01-05 . dead .
  11. Rodd . H. . Davidson . L. . 'Ilko dacowo:' canine enucleation and dental sequelae in Somali children . International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry . 10 . 4 . 290–297 . 2000 . 11310242. 10.1046/j.1365-263x.2000.00213.x .
  12. A/wahab . M. . Traditional practice as a cause of infant morbidity and mortality in Juba area (Sudan) . Annals of Tropical Paediatrics . 7 . 1 . 18–21 . 1987 . 2438998. 10.1080/02724936.1987.11748467 .
  13. Matee . M. . Van Palenstein Helderman . W. . Extraction of 'nylon' teeth and associated abnormalities in Tanzanian children . African Dental Journal . 5 . 21–25 . 1991 . 1819291.
  14. Holan . G. . Mamber . E. . Extraction of primary canine tooth buds: Prevalence and associated dental abnormalities in a group of Ethiopian Jewish children . International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry . 4 . 1 . 25–30 . 1994 . 7748844 . 10.1111/j.1365-263x.1994.tb00097.x.
  15. Graham . E. . Domoto . P. . Lynch . H. . Egbert . M. . Dental injuries due to African traditional therapies for diarrhea . The Western Journal of Medicine . 173 . 2 . 135–137 . 2000 . 10924443 . 1071025. 10.1136/ewjm.173.2.135 .
  16. Amailuk . P. . Grubor . D. . 10.1038/bdj.2007.1184 . Erupted compound odontoma: Case report of a 15-year-old Sudanese boy with a history of traditional dental mutilation . BDJ . 204 . 1 . 11–14 . 2008 . 18192989 . free .
  17. Espelid . E . Agnalt R . Removal of dental facilities in African folk medicine. (Translation from Norwegian) . Nor Dental Tid . 2009 . 119 . 294–297.
  18. De Beavis . F. O. . Foster . A. C. . Fuge . K. N. . Whyman . R. A. . Infant oral mutilation: A New Zealand case series . The New Zealand Dental Journal . 107 . 2 . 57–59 . 2011 . 21721338.
  19. Dewhurst . S. . Mason . C. . Traditional tooth bud gouging in a Ugandan family: A report involving three sisters . International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry . 11 . 4 . 292–297 . 2001 . 11570446. 10.1046/j.1365-263x.2001.00279.x .
  20. Web site: www.dentaid.org. https://web.archive.org/web/20110622093908/http://www.dentaid.org/resources/iommaterials. dead. 22 June 2011. 22 June 2011.

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