Category Archives: Dental Aesthetic Across Cultures Research Paper

Balinese Aesthetics

Dental aesthetics or cosmetic dentistry in its own definition is to improve the appearance of the teeth using bleaching, bonding, veneers, reshaping, orthodontics or implants.  Many of these cultures including the Japanese, Roman Empire, Mayans and the Balinese have their own tradition or method of modifying their teeth and beauty.  For example, the blackening of teeth, tooth filing, crosshatch designs, and jewel encrustations are some of the mutilations or modifications these particular cultures are passionate about.  Although many of these cultures views of aesthetics may appear to us as unusual practices or just plain “weirdness” each has their varied reasons for altering teeth.  The Balinese is a culture that seemed to be of much interest while doing my research.  The most common form of dental mutilation is tooth filing.  Interestingly enough tooth filing has been recorded as being performed first in Bali.  A ceremony called “Matatah” or “Tooth Filing” is performed according to the Balinese Calendar.  The method of filing comes from many different varieties varying from parallel crosshatched lines on the teeth to filing the contours of the teeth to reach desired shape. Every culture has their own reasons for altering teeth.  Some are for religious reasons others for the standards of cultural beauty in the end they all are just aesthetically practices.

Aesthetics in Balinese

Want to rid yourself of evil and structure your present life? There is a natural way to accomplish this. Consider following the religious beliefs of the Balinese of Indonesia. The Balinese look with disgust upon coarse behavior, appearance, and feelings. This is the reason Matatah is so important. The Balinese follow this Matatah to gain entrance to the afterlife. It’s a quick procedure of 5-10 minutes and is done according to your liking of appearance. It’s a beautification rite.

Perception Of Beauty In The Balinese Culture

I have chosen the Balinese culture for my research because of their tooth filing ceremony that is performed yearly, and the interesting reasons for why it’s done. For over 2000 years, Bali in Indonesia has been noted for its unique Hindu ceremonies, in particular the tooth filing ceremony. The average Balinese will, between birth and adulthood, pass through a whole series of ceremonies that ritually mark, and celebrate, the various stages of human progress. One of the most elaborate and important is the ‘Matatah’ or tooth filing ceremony. Throughout the months of July and August, it is common to find this ceremony throughout Bali. When girls get their first menstruation, and boys voice changes, it is time to have their teeth filed.

It is believed that pointed teeth, for instance the canine incisor, are related to animal characters, witches, or bad evils. Therefore, in order to be fully human, the teeth must be filed. It is also done to reduce six evil spirits within a human being. They are Kama (desire), Loba (greed), Krodav (anger), Mada (intoxication), Moha (confusion) and Matsarya (jealousy). For that reason, the teeth render someone both more physically and more spiritually beautiful. After filing, a father’s duties to his female children are generally regarded as complete.

The ceremony is conducted by a member of the highest caste, the Brahmin (priest) which involves him leveling the teeth. This is believed to be a sort of coming-of-age ritual for the child, and after the ritual is completed the teenager is considered to be an adult. The tools used in the ceremony are: a small hammer, a file, and a carver. The person having their teeth filed must also remain in isolation indoors for the whole day prior to the ceremony, in order to remain protected from the negative influences of magic – while they are still considered “immature’, prior to the ceremony, they are particularly vulnerable to the influence of evil spirits.

 

Aesthetics of the Mayan and Ancient African Civilizations

The focus for my assignment was the differences and similarities  of the Aesthetics of the Mayan and Ancient African civilizations. I also examined how the New World responds to the information provided on the aesthetics of these two civilizations.  Further,  the research examines the way these aesthetic practices effected everyday lives in these civilization and the importance it carried through.

The research also touches on a little bit of aesthetic history for both civilizations.

japanese tooth blackening

In ancient Japan, most of the people who dye their teeth are married women. This is the way that they show their maturity. Other people like aristocrats, samurai and people from imperial would blacken their teeth to show the symbol of stature and pedigree. Dying teeth not only for beauty, but also to prevent teeth decay. The dye was mix with Gallnut powder and tannin powder will turn the liquid non-water soluble and black. The reason why the Japanese choose black color to dye their teeth is because black color was considering beauty in Japan.

The use of Art in tooth Restoration in South Africa

Art ( a traumatic Restorative Treatmment) is a promissing approach to tooth restoration, which relies on the use of hand instruments for removol of carious tissues and the subsequent filling of the cleaned cavity and adjacent fissures with  a glass ionomer cement of high viscosity. Its lack of dependence upon electricity and expensive dental equiment has caused it to be endorsed by the World Health organisation ( who)  as particicularly appropriate for public oral health care services in developing countries suach as  those of Africa.

Art has been demostrated to have significant advantages where dental restoration  work is concerned. however, because of infrastructual factors beyond the control of dental personnel it has not caused patients in  South Africa and other African countries to visit clinics until, in many case, a painful tooth is beyond restoration.

 

 

Esthetic during the Roman Empire

From history of the Roman Empire dentistry, exposed a lot different new way and knowledgeable skill to develop. Over the last 2011 years, dentistry has made great advances and also experienced a few setbacks for meet the needs of the patient. Dental technology remains to benefit with an important and valuable key to providing excellence in patient dental care. Dental is always related to our life, esophagus is a main to eat which is health care, and facial expression showed teeth main to attract people to commutation. The role of today’s dental technician has expanded more to get involved social and changed information to world to make fresh product in health care.

Aesthetics of Bantu

Aesthetics is simply defined as beauty. And it is known that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So as far as dental aesthetics go, it varies among cultures. One culture in particular is the one of Bantu. The Bantu were known for the filing of there teeth to points. they did this for many resons; mythic beleifs, also to encite fear. This world advances because of the different veiws of the world. It takes these views to help us progress in life.

American vs. British cross cultural and beauty.

There are various cross cultural differences between Americans and the British. One of the difference happens to be the perception of dental beauty. Americans see it as something more important than the British. This paper examines the reasons for this difference in perception as well as the results of that perception. Historical traits as well as cultural values goes into the level of importance that gets put on dental beauty. As a consequence of having a different level of importance on dental beauty, there are stereotypes the two cultures face. The perceptions also has an impact on the business side of things. The dental industry in the United States is much more profitable than it is in Britain. This paper taps into different areas in which the perception of dental beauty affects the two culture

Dental Aesthetics across cultures

Over the years research has shown many evidence of the esthetics in dentistry tracing back as far as 700 B.C. by the Etruscan. From tooth sharpen in Africa to placing gemstone on to their teeth in ancient Latin America. We can all agree that over the past centuries esthetics have changed all over the globe dramatically. From once making dentures from ivory, animal bone, human teeth taken from the dead and alive. And as early as 200 A.D. bridges and crowns were made of gold to help improve the appearance of people who had lost teeth. Over in Egypt there is record of people actually having sea shells hammered in to their gums to replace missing teeth.  There has been many recent studies that have shows and stress how culturally important dental esthetic may have been and is to culture. This would prove that the definition of beauty and aesthetics is culturally different.