The frequency of culturally derived dental modification practices on the Cape Flats in the Western Cape

The people living on the Cape Flats (Western Cape) have been practicing dental modification by having their incisors removed for at least 60 years. A survey, by means of a questionnaire, of eight adjoining areas in the Northern Suburbs was done to investigate the current prevalence of this practice. Three groups of study subjects (scholars, working people and retired people) were included to gain a perspective of the community in general. The individual ages ranged between 15 and 83 years old. A total of 2 167 individuals participated in this study of which 41% had modified their teeth. More males (44.8%) than females (37.9%) were involved in this practice. The percentage incidence was overwhelmingly higher in lower income areas. 'Race' and social class are both important factors. Of people who called themselves 'coloured', 74.5% modified their teeth, but 39.8% of 'blacks' and 31.6% of 'whites' within the sample had also practiced tooth removal. The frequency of tooth removal for those who identified themselves as South African was much lower (22.9%). This suggests that dental modification is a phenomenon of ethnicity and community and those who perceive themselves to be part of a broader national fabric are less likely to practice it.