Why do capetonians remove their teeth

He had both his front teeth removed by the dentist, but he would never advice his son to do the same. Portfolio One picture stories Biography Contact. Among Coloured people in Cape Town it is popular to pull out the front teeth — whether healthy or not. Some say they do it to be more attractive and others see it as a fashion statement. Cassidy Links left and his friends Euklith middle and Henry right had their healthy front teeth pulled out in their early teens.

Gavin van Sensie 37 with his 10 month old son in Tafelsig, Cape Town. A group of youths playing soccer in the street of Theronsberg, Tafelsig. More works:. These days, the roots of the practice seem to have been forgotten, and it appears to be more driven by custom, peer pressure and fashion. The subjects cite everything from improved physical appearance to better kissing. Some appear unclear about the reason, or offer more than one. Others remove their teeth only to replace them with bling-laden dentures.

And to further complicate the matter, outsiders regularly cast aspersions on what they claim are the real reasons, many of which are derogatory, based on racially fuelled stereotypes. There have also been some more formal studies that attempt to understand the practice. The study was also inconclusive, with respondents citing better smiles, improved kissing and oral sex and louder whistling.

Front teeth removal not only complicates eating, but it can lead to infections, particularly when people use unauthorised backstreet dentists, or insert gold dentures. Despite the potential complications and the fact that most authorised dentists now refuse to perform the procedure, front teeth removal is still surprisingly common. Though many formal employers in the urban areas discourage visible gaps, the practice is still visible across a wide cross-section of society, from fishermen, taxi drivers and gangsters through to sporting stars and musicians.

An identity that will not and cannot be defined by what previous generations have done with their dental work. Even if someone did it to look good it is after all their choice.

However, many people agree that it is a dying trend as people who had their front teeth regret it and tell others not to have it done. So who knows maybe the passion gap will go extinct soon the video below touches on this.

Thank you for reading my blog. I appreciate your comments and support. Have you had a tooth removed? If you want to share your experiences and keep reading my blog pretty please. Thompson, A. Hamman, M. Like Liked by 1 person. Like Like.

Skip to content. In Ghent Belgium smiling with my dentures In Cape Town, South Africa my hometown there is a trend which even I myself find unusual that is of extracting your front teeth. Myths and inconclusive facts Historical myths There are myths that it might be a trend today because Cape Malay slaves in Cape Town removed their teeth in order to oppose people who made use of slaves and potential enslavers.

Personal opinion I know of people who have had it done like my sister who was tripped and had her front teeth badly damaged so she had to extract them and people like me who had teeth which were growing incorrectly.

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