Ethnic dentistry

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The ethnic Dentistry ( ancient Greek ἔθνος Ethnos " tribe ") deals with the teeth and the oral health of indigenous cultures . Research into the various procedures for changing teeth and lips is also a relatively new field.

Deformation of the mouth and lips

The lip plate is an aid for shaping plate lips, the ideal of beauty for various African and American ethnic groups . For example, in the Ethiopian people of the Mursi, the lower lip is cut open and slowly stretched by inserting ever larger clay plates. A particularly large lip plate is highly regarded. Women are knocked out some teeth from the age of 20. A labret piercing ( Latin : labrum, lip) is a piercing in the area of ​​the lips and is still traditionally an integral part of the culture of different ethnic groups in Africa , Asia and Latin America .

Tooth deformation

The anatomy of teeth occasionally shows differences between the ethnic groups, both in the shape of the cusp of the molars in Amazon Indians , the size of the pulp cavity , the thickness of the enamel or in the number of roots . The first lower molars of the Xingu Indians in Brazil often have three roots, while the second molars only have one root. The central upper front teeth often have a strong palatal scoop shape and wing formation.

Three types of tooth deformation can be distinguished: (1) The edges of the incisors are splintered, (2) the upper or lower incisors are knocked out and (3) some or all of the incisors are filed to a point.

Ritual tooth extraction

Ritual tooth removal was common practice among many Australian Aboriginal tribes . The Himba people living in Namibia and the Surma people from Ethiopia had the custom of breaking out the lower four incisors of children between the ages of seven and nine. Originally, this “gap” was supposed to serve as a counter bearing for a lip plug or a disc. Both African tribes have a cultural element in common, which can be explained by their common descent from the Herero , an East African, semi-nomadic people.

In ancient China, women among the Gelao ( Chinese  仡佬族 , Pinyin Gēlǎozú ; Chinese  打 牙 仡 佬 , Pinyin Ta-ya Kih-lau, 'cow-lau knocking out the teeth' ) had to have two of their front teeth knocked out during the wedding As it was said at the time, “to prevent the man's family from being harmed”.

Three types of tooth deformation were found on the East Asian islands and in Oceania :

  • Tooth filing as jewelry among the peoples of the East Asian islands
  • Teeth erupting after puberty in Australia and parts of Melanesia
  • Teeth break out as a sign of mourning in Polynesia .

Ritual tooth removals also took place in the early peasant Mediterranean region, as can be demonstrated for Italy and Tunisia . Apparently, teeth were often removed - at least in every third adult woman - for cosmetic or social reasons or were an initiation rite.

procedure

In case studies describe how among the peoples of the Dinka and Nuer of the southern Sudan the tooth removal was going on. At the age of seven, the four lower incisors and the two lower canines were removed from a child by a “tooth extractor ” (Naak) - who works without any remuneration. The child had to lie on his stomach. The Naak knelt on the child and put the child's head between his knees. He put his hand under the child's chin, pulled the child's head back, and slipped a small knife between the two central incisors. He moved the instrument back and forth in a dislocating motion to loosen the teeth. The gingival tissue was then separated from the root surfaces and the instrument was pushed apically along the root surface and one tooth after the other was levered out with an upward movement. It all happened very quickly and without anesthesia . The child was not allowed to cry, but had to appear heroic. After the procedure, the child was given hot milk to drink. The procedure was certainly very painful, but more bearable than it would have been with an adult. On the one hand, the root growth of the teeth is not yet complete at this age, so that the teeth are not yet very firmly anchored in the jaw. On the other hand, the child's bone is still soft, so that a tooth can be removed more easily.

origin

Allegedly, the origin of tooth extraction goes back to the fact that these peoples wanted to create gaps between the front teeth of their children in order to enable food to be consumed even with tetanus infection ( tetanus ). After the first mild flu-like symptoms, the first main symptom of tetanus is a jaw clamp caused by a spasm of the masticatory muscles . Although no case of tetanus had occurred for centuries, the rite has been preserved and has become an ideal of beauty: "Without gaps in the front teeth, one would look like a jackal ". Had the mandibular teeth not been extracted, he would not have been allowed to speak to older boys or any of the girls; he would have been considered immature.

Ritual tooth filing

File pattern Nyam-Nyam (Congo)
Tooth changes:
1–3: Africa;
4-6: Malaysia.

Depending on the respective peoples, a distinction is made between different types of deformations that are carried out on teeth : There are pointed, gap, surface or serrated filing of the teeth, horizontal filing through to complete sawing off of the tooth crown. In addition, there are furrow, cell and relief filings, the displacement of front teeth from their natural position, the creation and enlargement of diastemas or gaps, the breaking out or levering out of single or multiple teeth with a spear point or stone chipping, the elongation (apparent lengthening) medium Front teeth, the dental jewelry and the artificial coloring of the teeth.

In the Kopparsvik burial ground, horizontal lines were found on the upper front teeth of numerous men, which were filed during their lifetime. The phenomenon has also been observed in isolated cases on Öland and in Skåne and Denmark . The custom of identifying one's group membership by modifying one's teeth was and is also widespread among the Aeta . With the help of knives or machetes, the Dumagat work their teeth towards the end of puberty by filing and sharpening ( Tayad ). The teeth turn black a few years later.

For religious reasons, every Hindu in Bali- Hinduism has to file a tooth on the upper canine and incisor teeth (Masangih, Mapandes ) after puberty , at least before marriage, but at the latest before death (Masangih, Mapandes ) by a sang (priestly tooth filer ) using a small file "Kikir" can be made. The Hindus believe that a soul can only be reborn in a human body if it has had its teeth filed during its lifetime. It is used to highlight the difference between humans and non-human beings. The upper and lower canines and incisors are considered to be the seat of various human passions. The aim of tooth filing is to regulate the six vices ( Sad Ripu ) of the human being, leaving the lower teeth in their natural form: krodha (anger), kama (lust), loba (greed), mada ( lack of control ), moha (stupidity) and matsarya (jealousy).

For the Toba Batak in Sumatra , tooth filing ( pasae utang , " pay off debts") is also a necessary prerequisite for sexual maturity.

With Vietnamese and Sudanese peoples, as well as in the Maya culture, the teeth were filed sharply and sometimes patterns were carved into them, which indicated that they belonged to the upper classes. Some cultures sharpened their teeth to imitate sharks, for example the Waparen in Africa. In the Congo Basin , Upoto men were only filed off teeth in the upper jaw, while women had teeth filed in both jaws. The same rites were traditional among the Mentawai .

Different filing patterns on anterior teeth from Malaysia, 1886.

A total of 20 filing patterns are reported from Malaysia , which occur among different ethnic groups. Tooth filing also prevailed as a milder form of breaking out teeth, which was carried out as a funeral rite in the sense of a box. In the rear Indian mainland tooth filings are known from the Bahnars and Cédans in the eastern part of Rear India, from tribes of the coastal area in Cochinchina , from the Trauos and from the Siamese (Thai).

It can be assumed that the filing of the teeth led to an opening of the tooth pulp ("tooth nerve"), which is extremely painful. The toothache is reported to last up to four weeks. The procedure mostly resulted in a devitalization (death) of the teeth.

Tooth jewelry

Gemstones

Around the year 900, for ritual or religious reasons, the Mayans decorated their front teeth with various gemstones such as jade , cinnabarite , serpentinite , pyrite or hematite , which were found during excavations in Antigua Guatemala . For this purpose, holes precisely matched to the size of the gem were drilled with a drill and floating abrasives made of quartz powder . More than 50 different patterns were identified. It is believed that each pattern represented a tribal affiliation or had a religious meaning. From Borneo , the Dayaks are known to have pin teeth covered with bronze pieces in the shape of a star.

Tooth gold plating

In 2700 BC Teeth are said to have been decoratively covered with thin gold leaf , as can be seen from finds from a tomb dating from around 2700 BC. ( Hili Tomb ) in the Hili Archaeological Park collection in the Al Ain National Museum in Abu Dhabi . It is one of the last vestiges of the mysterious Umm al-Nar culture, which existed between 3000 and 2000 BC. BC first established a major civilization epoch in the region. Already 1000 BC The Chinese used tooth fillings made of the finest gold leaf, which was stamped into the caries holes. The first prosthetic work was done in 500 BC. Made by the Phoenicians . In Eastern Europe, for example in Tajikistan and the Orient, gold teeth on the front were considered a sign of wealth.

Tooth blackening

In Japan, tooth blackening ohaguro ( Japanese お 歯 黒 ) has been fashionable since the middle of the first millennium, as suggested by traces of blackened teeth in bone finds from the Kofun period (300 to 710). The Ohaguro goes back to the Heian period (794–1192). It was first mentioned in writing in the Genji Monogatari ( jap. D , dt. The story of Prince Genji) in the 11th century, although it has been around since 2879 BC. Was practiced. Was conducted ohaguro of men and women of the court nobility and later by the Samurai . During the Edo period (Japanese 江 戸 時代, Edo jidai, 1603 to 1868) it was common for married women to blacken their teeth. It was considered erotic as it increased the contrast with the white skin of the face. It was therefore very common among women in the brothel district . At the same time it was considered a symbol of marital fidelity.

  • Dayak from Borneo with tooth decorations

  • Jade decorated front teeth

  • Gold crowns

  • Tooth blackening

Teeth cleaning

Miswāk as a toothbrush

The miswāk was already used as a toothbrush in ancient times . The branch from the toothbrush tree ( Salvador persica ) contains cleaning agents, disinfectants and even fluoride . It was found in the ancient Indian collection of medical knowledge of the surgeon Sushruta (सुश्रुत, Suśruta) around 500 BC. Recommended. Miswāk is also mentioned in the ancient Indian code of Manu ( Sanskrit , f., मनुस्मृति, manusmṛti ) at the turn of the ages. In the Islamic world, Mohammed is said to have used it regularly, according to the hadith literature .

The Maerua crassifolia (from the caper family ) were used as toothbrush sticks in the western Sahara . In Mauritania he is called (in the Arabic dialect Hassania ) as atīle . The toothbrush tree is called tiǧṭaīye there , and in this region the Commiphora africana from the balsam tree family , adreṣaīe and desert date ( Balanites aegyptiaca , in Hassania: tišṭāye ) are used to clean teeth. In southern Burkina Faso , teeth are cleaned with Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides . In India, branches of the neem tree are used to brush teeth.

While in the tribes of the highland Papuans in New Guinea an indirect plaque removal is achieved by occasionally chewing fiber-rich leaf stalks, the African peoples use small wooden sticks from certain tree species to clean their teeth every day. The tree sap that escapes has an astringent and disinfectant effect, similar to the ingredients of toothpaste .

Ethno- and paleo-dentistry working group

On March 11, 2011, the constituent meeting of the working group Ethno and Paleo Dentistry (EPZ) took place at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz . The new specialist group within the German Society for Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine (DGZMK) has set itself the goal of improving the teeth and oral health of indigenous cultures (ethno-dentistry) as well as the orofacial health and disease and the behavior of our ancestors from the beginning of human existence to bring them closer to their colleagues under evolutionary and cultural aspects (paleo-dentistry). Such a working group is so far unique in the world. The aim of the working group is the intra- and interdisciplinary ( anatomy , ethnology / cultural anthropology or ethnomedicine , anthropology and others) international exchange of specialist knowledge in the field of ethno- and palaeo-dentistry.

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Ethnic Dentistry  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Roland Garve, Ethno-Dentistry , ZWP. Special print. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  2. ^ Rüdiger Nehberg: Survival: The art of surviving. Ullstein, Frankfurt am Main 1982, p. 49.
  3. ^ R. González-José, MC Bortolini, FR Santos, SL Bonatto: The peopling of America: craniofacial shape variation on a continental scale and its interpretation from an interdisciplinary view. In: American journal of physical anthropology. Volume 137, Number 2, October 2008, ISSN  1096-8644 , pp. 175-187, doi: 10.1002 / ajpa.20854 , PMID 18481303 .
  4. ^ Susann Lindemann: Ritual deformations in primitive peoples , dissertation, 2007, University of Greifswald, p. 2. Accessed on November 13, 2014.
  5. ↑ a b c Max Uhle, About the ethnological significance of the Malay tooth filing , treatises and reports by the Königl. Zoological and Anthropological-Ethnographic Museum in Dresden; 1886/87, No. 4.
  6. ^ John Robb: The Early Mediterranean Village. Agency, Material Culture, and Social Change in Neolithic Italy , Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2007, p. 38.
  7. ↑ MS Willis, LE Harris, PJ Hergenrader: On traditional dental extraction: case reports from Dinka and Nuer en route to restoration. In: BDJ. 204, 2008, p. 121, doi: 10.1038 / bdj.2008.46 .
  8. ↑ Winfried Harzer: Orthodontics . Georg Thieme Verlag, August 10, 2011, ISBN 978-3-13-166921-6 , p. 337.
  9. ↑ Psychology: Humans Will Justify Almost Anything , Newsweek, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  10. ^ William Henry Flower, Fashion in deformity , MacMillan Verlag, London, 1881, p. 29.
  11. ↑ pinatubo aeta by Khristin Fabian ( Memento of the original from February 7, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / litera1no4.tripod.com
  12. ↑ In the footsteps of tradition and religion - dental rituals ( Memento of the original from February 28, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved September 18, 2016. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / dent-aesthetic.de
  13. ↑ Anette Rein, of purity, teeth and other passions in Bali . Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  14. ↑ The ancient Indonesian religions . Brill Archive, January 1976, ISBN 90-04-04766-2 , pp. 95-.
  15. ↑ Ryan Ver Berkmoes: Indonesia. (eBook ed.) Lonely Planet Publications, 2010, p. 428, ISBN 1-74104-830-3 .
  16. ↑ Mayan Dentistry . Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  17. ^ Walter Kamann: Material science and clinical investigations of the filling therapy of the teeth with plastic gold. Habilitation thesis, 2000, University of Witten / Herdecke.
  18. ↑ DP Agrawal, Susruta: The Great Surgeon of yore , Infinity Foundation, Princeton, New Jersey. Retrieved November 27, 2014
  19. ↑ Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement ( Memento of the original from October 1, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Saheeh Bukhari . English translation, Center for Religion and Civic Culture, University of Southern California. Retrieved November 29, 2014.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.usc.edu
  20. ^ Wolfgang Creyaufmüller: Nomad culture in the Western Sahara. The material culture of the Moors, their handicraft techniques and basic ornamental structures . Burgfried-Verlag, Hallein (Austria) 1983, p. 440.
  21. ↑ Thiombiano et al .: Catalog des Plantes vasculaires du Burkina Faso . CJB Genève 2012.
  22. ^ Roland Garve: Ethno-Zahnmedizin , in: Cosmetic dentistry, 3/2008, pp. 52-60. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  23. ↑ New DGZMK working group for ethno- and paleo-dentistry (AKEPZ) founded , Zahnärztliche Mitteilungen , issue 6/2011. Retrieved April 6, 2015.