Version 1
: Received: 21 January 2021 / Approved: 25 January 2021 / Online: 25 January 2021 (14:11:54 CET)
How to cite:
Uwayezu, D.; Ntigura, E.; Gatarayiha, A.; Erem, S.; Majumder, A.; Haque, M.; Razzaque, M. S. Conflict between Science and Superstition in Medical and Dental Practices. Preprints2021, 2021010502. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202101.0502.v1
Uwayezu, D.; Ntigura, E.; Gatarayiha, A.; Erem, S.; Majumder, A.; Haque, M.; Razzaque, M. S. Conflict between Science and Superstition in Medical and Dental Practices. Preprints 2021, 2021010502. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202101.0502.v1
Uwayezu, D.; Ntigura, E.; Gatarayiha, A.; Erem, S.; Majumder, A.; Haque, M.; Razzaque, M. S. Conflict between Science and Superstition in Medical and Dental Practices. Preprints2021, 2021010502. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202101.0502.v1
APA Style
Uwayezu, D., Ntigura, E., Gatarayiha, A., Erem, S., Majumder, A., Haque, M., & Razzaque, M. S. (2021). Conflict between Science and Superstition in Medical and Dental Practices. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202101.0502.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Uwayezu, D., Mainul Haque and Mohammed S. Razzaque. 2021 "Conflict between Science and Superstition in Medical and Dental Practices" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202101.0502.v1
Abstract
Superstition is a belief that is not based on scientific knowledge. Traditional healers usually use superstition in their practices to manage human health problems and diseases; such practices create a conflict with the medical profession and its evidence-based practices. Medical professionals confirm that this kind of practice is not safe to human health as it is done by untrained people (e.g., tradition healers) utilizing unsterilized instruments within unhygienic environments. Most of the cases eventually develop a variety of complications, which are sometimes fatal. Female genital mutilation, uvulectomy, oral mutilation (tooth bud extraction to cure “Ibyinyo”), and eyebrow incisions are examples of the many different types of superstitious practices which occur commonly in different parts of the world. We described how these traditional practices of superstition have been and continue to be performed in various parts of the world, their complications on oral and general health, and the ways such practices hinder modern medical practices. This paper aims to increase the awareness of these superstition-driven traditional and potentially harmful practices by promoting the importance of evidence-based medical practices.
Keywords
Superstition; Scientific knowledge; Conflict; Traditional healers
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Immunology and Allergy
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.