UNL research gets teeth for Sudanese refugees

UNL research gets teeth for Sudanese refugees
March 31, 2005
By: DANIELLE WELTY
Daily Nebraskan
To Americans, the gapped-tooth smile of Sudanese refugees may be a sign of bad oral hygiene, but to members of the Dinka and Nuer tribes, who purposely remove six of their bottom teeth, it is a sign of beauty.
Unfortunately, once these refugees attempt to assimilate to American culture, this tradition of removing permanent teeth can hinder development of the English language, processing of American foods and advancement in society because of their physical appearance, said Mary Willis, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Willis, along with five other professionals, decided to help the refugees while conducting research on the physical and psychological importance of the front teeth.
So far, she and her team of a dentist, two linguists, a nutritionist and a psychologist have given five Sudanese refugees tooth implants with the help of a $230,000 grant they received in January from the New York-based Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation.
Just recently, 27 more refugees began the tooth implant process. But more than 100 remain on the waiting list.
Çƒ?The initial pilot was five,Çƒ? she said. Çƒ?But there were so many that wanted help that weÇƒÙve begun another group while weÇƒÙre still collecting data from the first.Çƒ?
Willis said researchers wait a year after the patients receive their implants to compare the adjustments the refugees have made in speech, as well as physical and mental health.
The results from these assessments will determine whether or not Willis and her team receive more funding.
Ryan Schacht, a senior anthropology major, is contributing to the research project through his thesis on the social stigma attached to those missing teeth.
He said he hopes his work will make people aware that missing teeth is more than just a vanity issue.
Schacht interviewed 200 UNL students, asking them 12 questions about nine pictures of people with varying sets of teeth.
The questions asked interviewees to rate the level of attractiveness, health, intelligence, cleanliness and trustworthiness of the person pictured based on solely their teeth.
The majority of people in his sample considered a person missing teeth to be socially inferior, he said.
Çƒ?If a student rated someone with all of their teeth a six in attractiveness, it would go down to a three with just one tooth missing,Çƒ? he said. Çƒ?Those with missing teeth were also rated as having low intelligence and hygiene.Çƒ?
Willis said the Sudanese tooth-removal process is not hygiene-related, but a technique for survival that became a tradition.
She said tetanus was common among tribes like the Dinka and Nuer that lived along the Nile River, and the bottom teeth were removed from someone suffering from lockjaw so they could drink, eat and have a chance at surviving.
Çƒ?Oftentimes practices developed because of ailment or disease are incorporated into a languageÇƒÙs sound production and a cultureÇƒÙs notion of beauty,Çƒ? she said.
Reversing the effects of the tooth-pulling tradition costsabout $6,000, Willis said, so she hopes to receive more money so her group can start helping more refugees.
Willis said she expects the results of the dental implants for the first five refugees to be done within the next few months so they can apply for more grants.
Çƒ?ItÇƒÙs important to help these refugees,Çƒ? she said.
Çƒ?And the larger the group we have to research, the more relevant our results become so we can let people know this is about more than just teeth.Çƒ?