Tooth painting
Encyclopedia
Tooth painting is an ancient custom
of many countries in the Far East, such as Japan, southern China, Vietnam and Malaysia. Each region has its distinct traditions and methods.
In Vietnam, tooth painting is (or was) practiced by the majority ethnic group
(Kinh) as well as minority peoples. The Si La
men paint their teeth red
and the women paint theirs black
. This practice has slowly declined with each new generation
.
The practice of whitening teeth
has also become popular in Western culture
as a form of aesthetic enhancement.
Convention (norm)
A convention is a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted standards, norms, social norms or criteria, often taking the form of a custom....
of many countries in the Far East, such as Japan, southern China, Vietnam and Malaysia. Each region has its distinct traditions and methods.
In Vietnam, tooth painting is (or was) practiced by the majority ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
(Kinh) as well as minority peoples. The Si La
Si La
The Si La are an ethnic group of about 1,800 people living in northern Laos and another 600 living in the Lai Chau province of northwestern Vietnam....
men paint their teeth red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
and the women paint theirs black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
. This practice has slowly declined with each new generation
Generation
Generation , also known as procreation in biological sciences, is the act of producing offspring....
.
The practice of whitening teeth
Tooth bleaching
Dental bleaching, also known as tooth whitening, is a common procedure in general dentistry but most especially in the field of cosmetic dentistry. A child's deciduous teeth are generally whiter than the adult teeth that follow. As a person ages the adult teeth often become darker due to changes in...
has also become popular in Western culture
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
as a form of aesthetic enhancement.