Abstract

Teeth are physiological phenomenon that appears in child and who begins around 6 to 8 months after birth. The aim of this work was to study superstitious knowledge of the phenomena of teeth eruption in the mothers peulhs of Ferlo in Senegal. The research method was a descriptive and qualitative study; comprising questioning the mothers of children in the phase of active teeth eruption by structured, semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Information collected were related to the signs and symptoms of teeth, the superstitions associated with the dental age of eruption, the first type of tooth on the arcade, the rhizalyse and the practices of oral hygiene in the child. Data were analysed manually and presented in  framed and of verbatims. From the findings, it is seen that fever, the diarrhoea, the vomiting and the dribbles constituted the principal signs. The native or neonatal tooth and the use of the stick rub-tooth to clean the teeth in the evening and the phenomenon of rhizalyse were related to superstitious interpretations. Programs of information and communication would make it possible to better sensitize the populations to optimize the good practices in the children in active phase of teeth eruption.

Key words: Knowledge, superstitions, teeth, child, mother, Senegal.