Mugonzibwa Emeria Abella, Kahabuka Febronia Kokulengya, Mwalutambi Samwel Charles, Kikwilu Emil Namakuka
School of Dentistry, Department of Orthodontics Paedodontics and Community Dentistry, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), P.O. Box 65014, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Dental Department, Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), P.O. Box 65000, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
BMC Oral Health. 2018 Jan 10;18(1):9. doi: 10.1186/s12903-017-0462-6.
Nylon teeth myth is a belief of associating infant illnesses with bulges on infants' alveolus that mark the positions of underlying developing teeth and that it is necessary to treat the condition mainly by traditional healers to prevent infant death. The traditional treatment often leads to serious complications that may lead to infant death. Although the government instituted educational campaigns against the myth in 1980s to 1990s, to date, repeated unpublished reports from different parts of the country indicate continued existence of the myth. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the current status of the nylon teeth myth in Tanzania.
The study population was obtained using the WHO Oral Health pathfinder methodology. A structured questionnaire inquired about socio-demographics as well as experiences with "nylon teeth" myth and its related practices. Odds ratios relating to knowledge and experience of the nylon teeth myth were estimated.
A total of 1359 respondents aged 17 to 80 years participated in the study. 614 (45%) have heard of nylon teeth myth, of whom 46.1% believed that nylon teeth is a reality, and 42.7% reported existence of the myth at the time of study. Being residents in regions where nylon teeth myth was known before 1990 (OR = 8.39 (6.50-10.83), p < 0.001) and/or hospital worker (OR = 2.97 (1.99-4.42), p < 0.001) were associated with having have heard of nylon teeth myth. Proportionately more residents in regions where nylon teeth myth was not known before 1990 (p < 0.001), the educated (p < 0.001) and hospital workers (p < 0.001) believed modern medicine, whereas, proportionately more residents in regions where nylon teeth was known before 1990 (p < 0.001), less educated (p < 0.001) and non-hospital workers (p < 0.001) believed traditional medicine to be the best treatment for symptoms related to nylon teeth myth respectively.
The "nylon teeth" myth still exists in Tanzania; a substantial proportion strongly believe in the myth and consider traditional medicine the best treatment of the myth related conditions.
尼龙牙神话是一种认为婴儿疾病与婴儿牙槽上的凸起有关的观念，这些凸起标志着下方正在发育牙齿的位置，并且认为主要由传统治疗师治疗这种情况以防止婴儿死亡是必要的。传统治疗往往会导致可能导致婴儿死亡的严重并发症。尽管政府在20世纪80年代至90年代开展了反对这种错误观念的教育运动，但迄今为止，来自该国不同地区的多次未发表报告表明这种错误观念仍然存在。因此，本研究旨在评估坦桑尼亚尼龙牙神话的现状。
使用世界卫生组织口腔健康探索者方法获取研究人群。一份结构化问卷询问了社会人口统计学信息以及与“尼龙牙”神话及其相关做法的经历。估计了与尼龙牙神话的知识和经历相关的比值比。
共有1359名年龄在17至80岁之间的受访者参与了该研究。614人（45%）听说过尼龙牙神话，其中46.1%的人认为尼龙牙是真实存在的，42.7%的人报告在研究时这种神话仍然存在。居住在1990年之前就知道尼龙牙神话的地区（比值比=8.39（6.50 - 10.83），p<0.001）和/或医院工作人员（比值比=2.97（1.99 - 4.42），p<0.001）与听说过尼龙牙神话有关。在1990年之前不知道尼龙牙神话的地区（p<0.001）、受过教育的人（p<0.001）和医院工作人员（p<0.001）中，相信现代医学的比例相对较高；而在1990年之前就知道尼龙牙神话的地区（p<0.001）、受教育程度较低的人（p<0.001）和非医院工作人员（p<0.001）中，分别有相对较高比例的人认为传统医学是治疗与尼龙牙神话相关症状的最佳方法。
“尼龙牙”神话在坦桑尼亚仍然存在；相当一部分人坚信这个神话，并认为传统医学是治疗与该神话相关病症的最佳方法。
