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Tooth and the treatment of toothache in Iranian folk medicine
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Ali Jahanshahi Afshar *   |
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Abstract: (690 Views) |
The present study, titled “Tooth and the Treatment of Toothache in Iranian Folk Medicine,” examines the beliefs, therapeutic methods, and rituals associated with the tooth and toothache in Iranian folk culture. The aim of the study is to identify the physical, symbolic, and ritual functions of dental remedies in folk medicine and to analyze the connection between the lived experience of pain and its cultural interpretation. The research adopts a descriptive-analytical method, and its data have been collected through library research and organized into four main categories: 1) medicinal treatments, including opioid, herbal, animal, and mineral substances; 2) the use of supernatural elements in relieving or preventing pain; 3) folk beliefs concerning the eruption of infants’ teeth; and 4) rituals and symbolic foods related to dental health. The findings show that, in Iranian folk medicine, the treatment of toothache is not merely a physical process; rather, it acquires meaning within a broader framework of ritual and symbolic concepts. Medicinal functions, such as the anti-inflammatory properties of herbs or the topical soothing effects of opium and fat, alongside magical mechanisms such as amulets and symbolic acts, present an image of a comprehensive and multifaceted healing system in Iranian culture. The combination of empirical reasoning with ritual and magical beliefs reflects the traditional Iranian system of thought regarding health and the body. |
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| Keywords: Toothache, Tooth eruption, Traditional Medicine, Medicinal plants |
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Full-Text [PDF 540 kb]
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Memorial article: Original R.(History of medicine) |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2026/04/21 | Accepted: 2026/07/26
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