Dental injuries due to African traditional therapies for diarrhea.

Abstract

The number of immigrants and refugees from Asia and Africa to developed countries has increased in the past 20 years. Through caring for these patients, western physicians have become increasingly aware of traditional healing practices such as coining, cupping, and herbal therapies.1 Most physicians know little about traditional healing practices involving the mouth. We present 3 cases of dental malformations from care provided by traditional healers in East Africa (figures​(figures11,​,2,2, and​and33). Figure 1 On a routine physical examination, this 6-year-old Somali boy, a recent immigrant to the United States, was noted to be missing both primary lowercuspids. Figure 2 A 7-year-old Somali boy (brother of boy infigure 1) was also noted on a routine physical examination to have enamel defects located centrally on the buccal surface of both lower cuspids. The right cuspid was broken off above the defect. Figure 3 A 16-year-old Somali boy, who had been in the United States for several years, was noted by his primary care dentist to be missing both permanent lower incisors.