Culture plays an important role in human societies. It lays down norms of behavior and provides mechanisms which secure for an individual, his personal and social survival. Culture includes everything which one generation can tell, convey or hand down to the next. Culture has three parts. It is an experience that is learned, shared and transmitted. Acculturation refers to culture contact. There are various ways by which the acculturation can occur, like in the way of trade and commerce, industrialization, propagation of religion, education and conquest to name some.
Every culture has its own customs which may have significant influence on health and oral health. The increased incidence of lung cancer because smoking, cirrhosis because of alcoholism in many developed countries, the surge in the incidence of oral cancer in India due to pan chewing habits are some classical examples to demonstrate the influence of culture on health and oral health. It is now fairly established that the cultural factors are deeply involved in the whole way of life, like in the matters of nutrition, immunization, personal hygiene, family planning, child rearing, seeking early medical care, disposal of solid wastes and human excreta etc.
All cultural practices are not harmful. Every human has the culturally ingrained habit of cleaning or brushing the teeth early in the morning. The use of soap for personal hygiene, oil massaging, exposure of the new born to sunlight etc are some cultural practices that needs to be encouraged. The inclination to get into the habits of smoking, alcoholism, drug addiction in the name of civilization among the younger generation needs to be countered at the earliest, otherwise, it may have a huge deleterious impact on the health status of the generation to come. Keeping in mind, the very significant role, the culture plays on health and oral health, this topic of library dissertation is taken up to review the available literature on effects of key cultural factors on health and oral health.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- INTRODUCTION
- DEFINITIONS AND TERMINOLOGIES
- CULTURAL FACTORS IN HEALTH AND DISEASE
- HOW DOES CULTURE AFFECT ORAL HEALTH
- CULTURE AND ORAL HEALTH – VARIOUS PRACTICES
- A) TOOTH MUTILATION
- I) UNINTENTIONAL MODIFICATION OF TEETH
- i) HABITS
- ii) TEETH AS TOOLS
- iii) TOOTH WEAR AND FUNCTION
- II) INTENTIONAL MODIFICATION OF TEETH
- i) TOOTH AVULSION
- ii) TOOTH BUD ENUCLEATION
- iii) ALTERING THE SHAPE OF TEETH
- iv) DYEING AND LACQUERING
- v) INLAYS AND ONLAYS
- I) UNINTENTIONAL MODIFICATION OF TEETH
- B) SOFT TISSUE MUTILATION
- i) PIERCING OF ORO-FACIAL SOFT TISSUES
- ii) UVELECTOMY
- iii) FACIAL SCARRING
- C) ORAL HABITS
- i) TOBACCO HABITS
- ii) BETEL HABITS
- iii) KOLA NUT HABIT
- iv) KHAT CHEWING
- v) COCA LEAF CHEWING
- vi) CHEWING OF GUMS
- D) ORAL HYGIENE HABITS
- i) TRADITIONAL ORAL HYGIENE PRACTICE-CHEWING STICKS
- ii) OTHER ORAL HYGIENE AIDS
- A) TOOTH MUTILATION
- CONCLUSION
- REFERENCES
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper explores the multifaceted relationship between culture and oral health, aiming to understand how cultural practices and beliefs influence oral health outcomes. It delves into the various ways culture impacts oral health, from traditional oral hygiene practices to the prevalence of harmful habits like tobacco and betel chewing.
- The impact of cultural factors on health and disease
- The influence of culture on oral hygiene habits and practices
- The role of cultural beliefs and perceptions in the acceptance and utilization of oral health services
- The relationship between cultural practices and the prevalence of oral diseases
- The importance of considering cultural factors in promoting oral health
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction establishes the importance of oral health as an integral part of overall well-being and discusses the multifactorial nature of health. It highlights the role of cultural factors in influencing health outcomes, particularly emphasizing the impact of culture on oral health. The paper then delves into the definitions and terminologies relevant to understanding the relationship between culture and oral health. Chapter 3 explores the influence of cultural factors on health and disease, providing examples of how cultural practices can impact health outcomes. Chapter 4 examines how culture specifically influences oral health, highlighting the role of cultural factors in shaping oral hygiene habits, dietary preferences, and the acceptance of oral health services. Chapter 5 provides a detailed analysis of various cultural practices that can impact oral health, including tooth mutilation, soft tissue mutilation, oral habits, and oral hygiene habits.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Culture, oral health, oral hygiene, cultural practices, oral diseases, oral habits, traditional oral hygiene, tooth mutilation, soft tissue mutilation, tobacco, betel chewing, acculturation, health disparities.
- Quote paper
- Dr. Meenakshi Chopra (Author), Dr. Charu Mohan Marya (Author), Dr. Ruchi Nagpal (Author), 2015, Culture and Oral Health, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/295206
