Social Sciences And Health Behavior Question And Answers
Question 1. Write short note on taboos related to dentistry.
Or
Write short note on taboos in dentistry.
Answer. Taboo is a strong social prohibition against words, objects, actions or discussions which are undesirable or offensive by a group, culture, society or a community.
Breaking a taboo is unobjectionable.
Various taboos related to dentistry are as follows:
- A lot of people who are required to undergo extraction of the teeth are reluctant to undergo treatment because they are afraid that they will loose their eye sight.
- Some people who came to the dentist with the complaint of decayed teeth demand that the dentist should show worms from their teeth because they believe that dental decay is caused by worms.
- When deciduous teeth exfoliate children as well as their parents believe that if they keep the exfoliated teeth under a rock or through on top of the roof they will get teeth as strong as stone. And they also believe that if they keep their exfoliated teeth in a rat hole they will get teeth and strong as sharp as rat teeth.
- Cultural practices such prolonged breastfeeding and the use of sugar-based substances in infant bottle feeding mixtures, both of these practices sometimes being extended up to the time a child is 3–4 years of age in the tropics, may be associated with unusual caries pattern in children.
- Jains of North India, consider taking an injection as taboo, so strong in their belief that they go to the extent of getting a tooth extracted without a local anesthetic injection.
Read And Learn More: Public Health Dentistry Question And Answers
- People believe that if scaling is done, tooth may become loose.
- Some people believe that if the child has born with neonatal teeth, it is a danger to grandparents.
Question 2. Describe cultural pattern, concepts and taboos in relation to dental health.
Or
Write in brief on factors that influence the preventive behavior in health practices.
Answer. Cultural concepts of disease and therapy throughout the world are diverse. This diversity equally applies to oral diseases and treatment.
Culture Pattern in Relation to Dental Health
- Culture may be defined as a shared and organized body of customs, skills, ideas and values which is transmitted socially from one generation to another.
- Human beings in groups as well as individually react to their environment in terms of their culture.
- Cultural beliefs about the sources of illness and appropriateforms of treatment may be interpreted as a barrier to professional health care.
- An individual causes delay in getting dental treatment from a dentist because one relies on home remedies.
- In this way effectiveness of health education or treatment planned for improving the oral health status of the community get reduced.
- Public health workers face difficulties in program planning.
- Because of long-standing tradition and misconceptions, patient education is needed to overcome this cultural barrier.
- It is one of the important developments in public health during the last decade that the social scientists have been called into aid in adapting new health program to existing cultural patterns.
Concepts in Relation to Dental Health
- Mutilation and adornment of the teeth and oral soft tissues comprise a group of practices of obvious significance to students and practitioners of dentistry.
- The practice of deliberate mutilation of human dentition is a phenomenon, which is known to have existed since prehistoric times in an ethically and geographically diverse range of people. Most of these customs are observed among people living in tropical regions of the world. These practices include nontherapeutic tooth extractions, breathing off tooth crown, alteration in the shape of crown by filling and chipping, dental inlay work, staining of teeth, and practices such as placement of gold crowns for adornment purpose.
- Practice of tooth avulsion is common among Australian aboriginal tribes and in Africa. The various reasons for this kind of practices are tribal identification, initiation rite. Sign of ceremonial sacrifice, esthetics, fashion, cultural mimicry, etc. While some people perform ritual tooth mutilation for spiritual reasons, other may do it for fashion. Waarusha and Masai people of Tanzania who practiced removal of permanent central incisors indicate that the space left provide a route allowing passage of fluids in the event, the person is unable to open his mouth.
- The practice of placing decorative inlays was also carried out in India in previous times. The teeth of important people such as Maharaja’s were reportedly inlayed with glass or pearls. The people of ancient Roman civilization were familiar with dental restoration of gold. Among Muslims, the presence of a gold crown on a front tooth is used to signify that the wearer has visited Mecca.
- Tattoos in the oral region must be distinguished from other forms of diffuse, intrinsic or acquired pigmentation of the oral mucosa. Tattooing is largely confined to countries in the region of North Africa and the Middle East. In these countries, tattooing of maxillary alveolar gingiva is mainly practiced by females especially those belonging to the Muslim faith. According to Gazi, the gingiva may be tattooed when females reach puberty or when they become married. This custom may be practiced by men to relieve the pain association with diseased gums. This particular use of the custom implies a belief that gingival tattooing has therapeutic benefit. The technique of gingival tattooing involves painting the gingiva with a layer of pigmented material (usually carbon) which is then impregnated into the gingival mucosa by means of sharp thorns or needles which pierce the mucosa. Other forms of soft tissue mutilation which may be encountered among people in the tropical regions of the world are:
- Piercing of lips and perioral soft tissues and theinsertion of materials such as wood, ivory or metal.
- Temporary piercing of orofacial soft tissues for ceremonial purposes.
- Uvulectomy and facial scaring.
Question 3. Write briefly the socioeconomic and cultural factors in oral health and disease.
Answer.
Socioeconomic Factors in Oral Health and Disease
- High income group have lower prevalence of oral disease as compared to lower income group because they have means and can afford dental treatment.
- Persons of upper middle class are interested in preventive dentistry and they actively pursue various types of dental care.
- Persons of lower middle class are compulsive in their dental care attitudes. The necessity to be clean, good, conforming and socially presentable makes a high standard of dental care among these people.
- Gingival and periodontal health is better among individuals with higher education and good income.
- Upper lower class persons undergo loss of natural teeth at early age and are happy by acquiring artificial dentures.
- Lower socioeconomic status has poor diet, poor oral hygiene and lack dental awareness. They cannot afford the high cost of dental services and also the oral hygiene.
Cultural Factors in Oral Health and Disease
- Culture may be defined as a shared and organized body of customs, skills, ideas and values which is transmitted socially from one generation to another.
- Human beings in groups as well as individually react to their environment in terms of their culture.
- Cultural beliefs about the sources of illness and appropriateforms of treatment may be interpreted as a barrier to professional health care.
- An individual causes delay in getting dental treatment from a dentist because one rely on home remedies.
- In this way, effectiveness of health education or treatment planned for improving the oral health status of the community get reduced.
- Public health workers face difficulties in program planning.
- Because of long-standing tradition and misconceptions,patient education is needed to overcome this cultural barrier.
- It is one of the important developments in public health during the last decade that the social scientists have been called into aid in adapting new health program to existing cultural patterns.
Leave a Reply