Community Dent Health. 1994 Dec; 11(4): 240-2.

The role of traditional healers in the treatment of toothache in Tanga Region, Tanzania.

Ngilisho LA, Mosha HJ, Poulsen S.

Tanga Regional Dental Clinic, Tanzania.

The study was conducted in five villages in each of two districts in the Tanga Region of Tanzania. Seventy-three traditional healers and 408 villagers of 14 years and above (selected through systematic random sampling) were interviewed. Most of the traditional healers had practised for more than ten years and the majority had been trained by their father or grandfather. Sixty per cent of the traditional healers claimed, that they treated dental patients with an average of three patients per month. A large variety of local herbs was used and about 40 per cent of the traditional healers claimed that they would refer the client to a modern health facility, if their treatment did not work. Half of the villagers interviewed had experienced toothache and 60 per cent of those who had experienced toothache within the last two years had sought treatment from traditional healers, where they had all been treated with local herbs. Relief was obtained for more than six months for 40 per cent of the patients, who sought this service. The establishment of modern emergency oral care in rural health centres and dispensaries did not influence the villagers' use of the traditional healers.