END INFANT ORAL
MUTILATIOn
Infant Oral Mutilation (IOM) is a barbaric practice performed to millions of children every year in East African countries. It is a highly dangerous and sometimes fatal practice causing agonizing pain, distress and risk of spreading diseases such as HIV/AIDS. It involves the gouging of unerupted canine teeth by untrained healers using unsterile tools.
Our MISSION
To build a global movement to end infant oral mutilation by funding and working alongside the East African Dental community with the collaboration of civil society.
OUR VISION
End Infant Oral Mutilation for a world where infants do not have to undergo highly dangerous and unnecessary dental practices.
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a word from
dr. miguel stanley
Infant oral mutilation (IOM) is a dangerous and sometimes fatal traditional dental practice undertaken in children that can have very serious health consequences.
This is undertaken by many indigenous African tribes, mainly from East and central Africa.It involves the removal of the canine milk teeth in infants and young children by traditional healers, without anaesthesia and using unsterile tools such as a bicycle spoke, a hot nail or a penknife.The wound is sometimes dressed with concoctions made out of various herbs.
At a meeting of Paediatric Dentistry Association of East Africa, in July 2017, a declaration was made to eliminate the practice of IOM in the region. Professor Raman Bedi was invited by the Association to officiate the conference opening. The delegates at the meeting agreed to make a call to action to stop IOM, and proposed amongst other things, a formation of a multi-agency collaboration that would help achieve the goal within the next 10 years.
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Dr. Miguel Stanley, DDS
