A Preliminary Report on Ritual Ablation of Anterior Teeth in Modern Kenyan

Abstract

Recently, the authors visited the Republic of Kenya to have preliminary contact for developing a new research project on culture and dental disorders. During this tour, traits of tooth extraction in the mandibular anterior region were observed in eight people from four tribes. Hearing directly from these people, it was confirmed that the tooth extractions were done for ritual reasons at around six years of age by an elder person (Mzee) using a knife (Kisu). From the facts that the youngest case was 25 years old, and that the one who was 30 years old eagerly wanted to have the space repaired by false teeth, the new wave of modem culture seemed to reach the peripheral part of Kenya, and the ritual ablation of the teeth was considered to be terminating. In the present paper, preliminary information on ritual ablation in living populations was reported. Detailed quantitative information will be presented when the above-mentioned project comes to be achieved.