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Case Reports
. 2018 Feb 21:2018:7586468.
doi: 10.1155/2018/7586468. eCollection 2018.

Infant Oral Mutilation

Emily A Pope  1 , Michael W Roberts  2 , E LaRee Johnson  3 , Clark L Morris  4
Affiliations
Case Reports

Infant Oral Mutilation

Emily A Pope et al. Case Rep Dent. .

Abstract

Ebinyo refers to the practice of removing primary canine tooth follicles in infants without anesthetic by African traditional healers or elders using unsterilized instruments. This report describes a case of ebinyo or infant oral mutilation (IOM) and associated sequelae in a child adopted from a remote African tribe. The intraoral examination revealed that the patient was missing his primary maxillary and mandibular canines. The maxillary anterior periapical radiograph displayed a dysmorphic ectopic unerupted maxillary right primary canine positioned mesial to the maxillary right primary first molar. Periapical films taken confirmed partial or complete absence of the patient's primary mandibular left (73) and mandibular right (83) canines, and a bitewing and periapical film confirmed the absence of the patient's primary maxillary left (63) canine. The permanent canines will be monitored for possible hypoplasia secondary to trauma to the tooth buds during extirpation of the primary canines. Research presented in this report reveals that there are serious health implications involved with the practice of ebinyo.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
An intraoral photo of the 4-year-old male patient shows the missing maxillary and mandibular right and left primary canines.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The right bitewing radiograph shows a suspicious area mesial to the maxillary right first primary molar. Caries are noted on the distal surface of the mandibular right first primary molar.
Figure 3
Figure 3
This radiograph demonstrates a dysmorphic maxillary right primary canine erupting ectopically into the mesial aspect of the maxillary right first primary molar. This is probably the result of incomplete extirpation by a tribal leader.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The tribal leader extirpated the lower left primary canine, but there appears to be a remaining tooth-like remnant.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The radiograph demonstrates the absence of the maxillary and mandibular left primary canines.
Figure 6
Figure 6
The periapical film confirms the absence of the primary maxillary left canine.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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