Canine Tooth Buds Research Articles

Socio-cultural practices of deciduous canine tooth bud removal among Maasai children

The removal of teeth amongst the Maasai is a traditional practice as part of an initiation or to make space for feeding in an event of diseases locking the jaw. Removal of deciduous canine tooth buds (DCB) among infants below 2 years has been reported in several studies to be common mainly amongst communities in East Africa, Ethiopia and Sudan. The main reason for the practice revolves around the belief that tooth buds or 'maggots' are false teeth, nylon or worms and are responsible for diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and growth retardation in children, amongst other illnesses. The main objective of this study was to assess the socio-cultural factors which contribute to this practice. The main methods of data collected included Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with mothers of children in that age group and Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA). In-depth interviews (IDI)were conducted with key informants versed with Maasai traditions whereas observations were done within the manyattas where participants live. Proceedings at both the FGD and the IDI were recorded on paper and were analysed thematically. The study showed that the removal of canine tooth buds amongst children that started initially with calves--that diseases that cause diarrhoea in calves were brought about by the canine tooth buds that were turning reddish in colour--is deeply rooted and practised in the community despite sensitisation interventions mounted jointly by the University of Nairobi, Kenya Medical Research Institute and the Kenya Medical Training College, among others. This study discovered that canine tooth buds are associated with bad spirits that cause diarrhoea and vomiting and the belief that removing them is a sure way of providing a cure for all children's ailments.

Complex Stenoses and CT Features of the Nasolacrimal Canal in Congenital Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction.

To study the CT appearance of the nasolacrimal canal (NLC) in cases of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) where there is a tactile sensation of a hard contact (HC) stop in the duct preventing stent intubation. The authors retrospectively reviewed all consecutive cases of chronic CNLDO observed between 2003 and 2018 in which an apparent HC obstruction prevented nasolacrimal intubation. CT scans were reviewed to determine the cause of probing failure: distal stenosis, loss of parallelism of the NLC walls, abnormal angulations or an adjacent obstacle blocking tear outflow. Nine patients (12 sides) met the following criteria: CNLDO + HC + probing failure. The mean age at the time of the first HC was 3.9 years (range: 0.8-8.1 years) and at the time of a second confirmation of HC with subsequent dacryocystorhinostomy was 7.8 years (range: 4.1-9.2 years). Nasolacrimal duct opacification was noted in 33% of cases (4/12). Abnormalities of the NLC occurred in 8 of the 12 cases of CNLDO (8/12 = 66.6%) and on the asymptomatic side in 1 case (1/6 = 16.6%). A canine tooth bud situated in the same plane as the NLC was observed in 9 cases of CNLDO (9/12 = 75%) and on the asymptomatic side in 2 cases (2/6 = 33.3%). HC noted during probing is a sensitive but relatively nonspecific sign which, nevertheless, does indicate either a complex obstruction or at least potential intubation difficulties. As confirmed by CT imaging, a significant anatomical variant is not necessarily predictive of epiphora, but nevertheless may complicate the intubation procedure.The authors describe hard contact palpation during probing for CLNDO and its relationship to anatomic location and etiologies of obstruction in the nasolacrimal canal by CT imaging.

Prevalence and dental effects of infant oral mutilation or Ebiino among 3\u20135 year\u2013old children from a rural district in Uganda

BackgroundEbiino, a form of Infant Oral Mutilation (IOM), involves the gauging or enucleation of primary canine tooth buds in infants, and is believed to be a form of remedy to a range of childhood diseases. The effects of this practice have ranged from the child experiencing excessive bleeding, opportunistic infections and even death, besides the potential negative dental effects on primary and the developing permanent dentition of the affected child. The purpose of the study was to establish the occurrence of Ebiino and its dental effects in a rural child-population in Uganda.MethodsThis study formed part of a larger descriptive cross-sectional study on dental caries and gingivitis, in which 432 children aged 3–5 years old from Nyakagyeme Sub-county, Rukungiri District, Uganda, participated.All the 432 participants (230 males and 202 females, mean age 4.1 SD = 0.8) who had been recruited through stratified random sampling procedure, and whose caregivers had provided a written informed consent, were included in the study. Initially the past dental history of each participant was obtained, and all the children had an oral examination carried out to establish their dental status.ResultsThe data gathered were entered in a computer and analysed using Windows SPSS version 23.0. The results of the analysis showed the prevalence of missing teeth not due to reasons like caries or trauma was 8.1%, with the primary canine being the most commonly missing tooth. These unusual missing teeth were attributed to a traditional practice called Ebiino. Chi-square test showed no statistically significant association of Ebiino with gender and age (p = 0.352 and p = 0.909, respectively). Also found in the study were enamel hypoplasia or damage of some primary canines and/or the primary lateral incisors and first primary molars, as well as displacement of adjacent teeth, a result found to be associated with the practice.ConclusionThe practice of Ebiino appears to be endemic within the communities in Rukungiri region in spite of the negative impacts in form of hypoplasia, midline shift, trauma, dental displacement and missing adjacent teeth that it had on the primary dentition of the child.

Agony resulting from cultural practices of canine bud extraction among children under five years in selected slums of Makindye: a cross sectional study

BackgroundCanine Bud Extraction (CBE) is a process of removing or gouging children’s healthy canine tooth buds embedded underneath the gum using traditional unsterilized tools. The practice of CBE commonly known as false teeth removal continues to be an adopted cultural intervention of choice, in the prevention of morbidity and mortality from common childhood illnesses. However, it is a practice against the rights of the children with serious consequences. While CBE is associated with the perceived myth of curative gains, the agony emanating from the cultural practice exposes children to ill-health conditions such as dehydration, malnutrition, blood-borne diseases like HIV/AIDs, septicemia, fever and death. This research sought to understand the factors underpinning the practice of CBE among urban slum dwellers.MethodA cross-sectional study was conducted from five randomly selected slums in Makindye division; 298 household heads or guardians with children below 5 years, who had ever suffered from false teeth were interviewed. The variables measured included guardians’ socio-demographic profiles, determinants of CBE, common childhood illnesses assumed to be treated with CBE and the reported side-effects associated with the practice.ResultsOf the 298 respondents with children who had ever suffered from “false teeth” interviewed, 56.7% had two or more children below 5 years and 31.9% were from the central region. The proportion of households practicing CBE was 90.3%; 69.8% of the caretakers mentioned that it was done by traditional healers and for 12.1% by trained health workers (dentists). Number of children (OR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.1–7.2) and the belief that CBE is bad (OR = 0.1, 95% CI: < 0.001, p < 0.001) had a statistically significant association with CBE. Additionally, number of children (χ2 = 4.9, p = 0.027) and 2 sets of beliefs (CBE treats diarrhea (χ2 = 12.8, p = 0.0017) and CBE treats fever (χ2 = 15.1, p = 0.0005) were independent predictors of CBE practice. A total of 55.7% respondents knew that there were side effects to CBE and 31% mentioned death as one of them.ConclusionThe high proportion of households practicing CBE from this study ought to awaken the perception that the practice is ancient. CBE in this community as the study suggests was strongly driven by myths. The strong belief that CBE is bad provides an opportunity for concerted effort by primary health care providers, policy makers and the community to demystify the myths associated with false teeth and the gains of CBE.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Mothers towards Canine Tooth Bud Removal and Associated Factors among Mothers Visiting Dental Clinic of Gondar University Hospital, Ethiopia

Background: Canine tooth bud removal is a process of gouging out an infant’s healthy baby canine tooth buds embedded underneath the gums, using unsterile tools without anesthesia. This practice is against children’s right with many serious consequences in physical, psychological, mental and aesthetical makeup of the children. Therefore, studying the knowledge, attitude and practice of mothers towards to canine tooth bud removal will help to make recommendations for the concerned body for the intervention of this harmful traditional practice. Methods: An Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from June-November 2015 among mothers visiting the dental clinic of Gondar university Hospital. Four dental surgeons were involved in data collection process using structured questionnaire and doing a physical examination on their under 10 years old child. For testing of significance, categorical data was compared using a chi-squared test and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to assess the association of different independent variables with the dependent variable. Results: A total of 554 mothers within the age range of 19-54 years old with a mean age of 27.5 ± 4.65 (SD) were involved in the study. The prevalence of canine tooth bud removal was 81.9% in the study. The majority of the study participants have a misconception on the cause of diarrhea during teething and one-third of the participants have the intention to continue the practice in the future. The removal of canine tooth bud was done mainly by traditional healers using razor blade during 5-8 months of their life. Maternal age (AOR=0.378, 95%CI: 0.226-0.633) and educational level have (AOR=3.811, 95%CI: 2.323-6.246) strong association with the attitude of mothers towards to the practice of canine tooth bud removal. Conclusion and recommendation: The prevalence of canine tooth bud removal is high. These findings show an urgent need to have community-based campaign, to build their knowledge on the complications and effect of canine tooth bud removal on the quality of life in children. A culturally sensitive training should be given to change the social belief of the practice.

The expression of calretinin and cytokeratins in canine acanthomatous ameloblastoma and oral squamous cell carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and canine acanthomatous ameloblastoma (CAA) represent two epithelium-derived neoplasms that affect the oral cavity of dogs. The expression of cytokeratins (CKs) and calretinin has been previously established in the canine tooth bud and odontogenic tumours. The aim of this study was to characterize the CK and calretinin expression profile of OSCC in comparison to CAA and canine tooth bud tissues. Samples from 15 OSCC and 15 CAA cases, as well as 6 tooth buds and 2 normal gingival tissues were examined. OSCC CK expression was consistent with the CK expression profile of CAA and canine tooth bud tissue. Calretinin was positively expressed in 10 of 15 OSCC cases, with 5 cases demonstrating high staining intensity. Only 2 of 15 CAA cases demonstrated mild-moderate staining intensity. The statistically significant difference in staining pattern and intensity of calretinin in OSCC and CAA can help distinguish between these two tumour types.

Traditional removal of canine tooth buds as practiced by various communities in eastern Africa: a review of the literature

Traditional removal of canine tooth buds as practiced by various communities in eastern Africa: a review of the literature

Preliminary Study of Tissue-Engineered Odontogenesis in the Canine Jaw

We previously reported a method for the development of tissue-engineered tooth. However, 1 drawback of the procedure was the inability to determine whether the tooth would function when transplanted in the jaw because it was formed in the omentum of the abdomen. Therefore, the present study was designed to evaluate whether transplantation of dissociated odontogenic cells could induce tissue-engineered odontogenesis in the canine jaw. Cells were harvested from canine first molar tooth buds and the resulting heterogeneous cell population was seeded on a biodegradable polymer. These constructs were then transplanted into the same sockets after extracting the tooth buds. After transplantation, we evaluated the transplanted constructs using dental x-ray, micro-computed tomography, histology, and immunohistochemistry. After 24 weeks, micro-x-ray computed tomography showed regenerated hard tissues in the jaw, and hematoxylin and eosin staining showed tubular dentin and bone. In the regenerated tissue, osteopontin, osteonectin, and osteocalcin antibodies stained the dentinal matrix. However, enamel tissue and dental-root formation were not observed. These data show for the first time the formation of dentin and bone from dissociated odontogenic cells in the canine jaw.

Loss of permanent mandibular lateral incisor and canine tooth buds through extraoral sinus: Report of a case

Extraoral sinus tract may occur as a result of an inflammatory process associated with the necrotic pulp. Several non odontogenic disorders may also produce an extraoral sinus tract, the differential diagnosis of these clinical findings is of prime importance in providing appropriate clinical care. Presented here is a case report of 4 year old female child with extraoral sinus tract through which the tooth buds of mandibular permanent left lateral incisor and mandibular permanent left canine were lost. The extraoral sinus was due to mandibular left primary canine with class IX fracture (Ellis and Davey's classification).

The burden of traditional practices, ebino and tea-tea, on child health in Northern Uganda

Traditional medical practices persist today in Northern Uganda; for example, the operations of ebino and tea-tea are frequently performed in childhood. Ebino, or “false teeth”, refers to gingival swellings during the eruption of the primary canine teeth in infants, and consists of the extraction of deciduous canine tooth buds. Tea-tea consists of systematic cuts made on the chest wall when the child has difficulty in breathing. The objectives of this study are to describe the morbidity and mortality related to complications arising from the ebino and tea-tea procedures among children admitted to the paediatric ward of St. Mary's Hospital Lacor in 1999, and to estimate the prevalence of ebino and tea-tea among children aged 0–4 years attending, for any cause, the child welfare department (CWD) of the hospital. The prevalence survey consisted of the examination of 1,995 children attending CWD during a four-week period in 1999 to look for missing primary canine teeth ( ebino), and for “therapeutic” cuts on the chest wall ( tea-tea). In the difficult context of war and social disruption prevailing in Northern Uganda, sustainable methods of data collection and analysis should be utilised to support evidence-based decision-making.

Extraction of primary canine tooth buds: prevalence and associated dental abnormalities in a group of Ethiopian Jewish children.

Recent publications have described a common belief, held in rural areas in Africa, that unerupted primary canines cause diarrhoea, vomiting and fever in infants. To relieve these symptoms a traditional native healer extracts these tooth buds. The emigration of Ethiopian Jews to Israel in 1991 allowed an investigation of this practice among this community. A group of 59 children (27 boys and 32 girls) aged 3-12 years were examined clinically and radiographically. Evidence was found of extraction of 63 primary canine buds in 35 (59%) of the children. Extraction of one canine was found in 16 children, two in 13 children and three in three children, and three children had all four canines extracted. Forty-six (74%) mandibular compared to only 16 (26%) maxillary canines had been extracted; the extractions were equally divided between both sides of the jaws. Another 19 primary canines had hypoplastic defects, probably the result of unsuccessful extractions. Associated dental abnormalities included hypoplasia of the permanent successors and adjacent primary and permanent teeth, displacement of permanent teeth, midline shift to the extraction side, missing primary lateral incisors (probably accidentally extracted) and distal eruption of permanent lateral incisors, leaving their primary predecessors retained. Parental enquiry revealed that the practice is more common in rural rather than urban areas and still exists in the Ethiopian community in Israel. The findings of this survey should urge the authorities to take steps to stop this practice.

上顎洞の腫りゅう形成を初期病変とした小児急性リンパ性白血病の１例

This occurred in the right maxillary sinus of a 3-year-old girl. The child came to our clinic with the chief complaint of swelling of the right maxilla. Intraoral examination revealed a swelling of the buccal and palatal gingiva at the right EDC region. Radiographic film showed the abnormal features of diffuse cloudiness of the right maxillary sinus including displacement of a permanent canine tooth bud. The clinical diagnosis was odontogenic tumor. The tumor was resected under general anesthesia.The histopathological features of the specimens showed malignant lymphoma. We finally diagnosed T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia with tumor formation. After the operation, antileukemic chemotherapy was undertaken in pediatrics. At follow up, 2 years 7 months postoperatively, she had no sign of recurrence.