[Dental prevention in traditional Zaire]

The authors study hygienic techniques used by the Zaïre population of Kinshasa. The study was carried out among 1190 men and women with an average age of 46 and 40 respectively. The results show that most of the examined people brushed their teeth once a day. Three groups of traditional tools are used: A vegetable tool (root, creeper) A vegetable residue (wood embers) A mineral tool (sand) However, the majority of the examined people used a toothbrush.