A qualitative study of Yorùbá culture and the utilisation of modern dental services for oral health

Abstract

Background

Dental service utilisation in Nigeria is low, with limited understanding of the contextual factors driving poor service utilisation. The study aimed to explore the influence of the intersection of Yorùbá traditions, oral health practices, and the utilisation of modern dental services.

Methods

This study employed a qualitative research design using a phenomenological approach. It used a virtual community reflexivity approach to explore personal understandings of traditional remedies, proverbs, taboos, and beliefs that shape oral health behaviours within Yorùbá communities. A community of practice was formed following a public call on five WhatsApp groups that engaged researchers and people interested in cultural practices. Discussions on perspectives on the link between Yorùbá orature, oral health practices, and dental service utilisation were facilitated over six weeks. The discussions were analysed inductively, and emerging themes were shared at a two-hour culture-oriented seminar for validation. The feedback from the validation meeting was used to finalise the manuscript.

Results

The community of practice had 113 members, and the validation meeting had 122 attendees (58 physical and 64 online). Two themes and six sub-themes were identified through the inductive analysis. The first theme was ‘Cultural Significance of Dental Service Utilisation’ linked to four subthemes, namely: (i) Proverbs, Songs and Folklore, (ii) Taboos and Stigmatized Conditions, (iii) Home-Based Remedies, (iv) Spiritual and Herbal Practices. The second theme was ‘Modern Implications of Cultural Practices’ linked to two subthemes, namely: (v) Normalization of Pathologies, and (vi) Cultural Resistance to Modern Dentistry. The findings highlighted the cultural significance of oral health, with aesthetic and spiritual considerations often taking precedence over modern dental interventions. The routine use of herbal remedies at home is widespread, and the normalization of some dental pathologies results in a delay in seeking professional care. Stigmatisation associated with oral conditions further reinforces reliance on home-based remedies and delays in seeking care.

Conclusion

The interrogation of Yorùbá orature suggests oral aesthetics have spiritual connotations for life and wellness, which makes oral self-care practices a routine part of the daily lives of the community. Modern dentistry programmes and practices need to foster culturally sensitive public health messages and strategies to improve the utilisation of oral health facilities for preventive care.

Introduction

Dental service utilisation is low in Nigeria. Several studies indicate that between 52% and 80% of Nigerians have never visited a dentist [1, 2], with reported attendance rates ranging from 15.5% to 56.5% in Enugu [3] and 14.9% in Lagos [4]. Among specific populations, 4% to 62.9% of pregnant women [5, 6], 15.9% of secondary school students [7], 25% of medical students [8], 22.4%-39% of civil servants [9, 10], and 50.9% of undergraduate students [11] had utilized dental services. Most dental visits are motivated by pain or emergency needs [4, 12].

The poor utilization of dental services can be linked to cultural factors that shape attitudes and practices surrounding oral health [13]. In many cultures, oral health is often seen as secondary to general health, with emphasis placed more on functional aspects, such as the ability to eat, speak, or smile, rather than on preventive care or disease management [14]. Also, dental services are perceived as expensive, out of reach for the general population [15], and the medical system may act contrary to patients’ interests [16]. Understanding the cultural barriers to dental service utilisation would help with the planning and delivery of culturally sensitive dental care.

One of the largest and most influential ethnic groups in Nigeria is the Yorùbá [17]. The group has a rich cultural, historical, and linguistic heritage [17]. Predominantly located in southwestern Nigeria, the Yorùbá have a significant presence in other parts of West Africa, particularly in neighbouring Benin and Togo [17]. The ethnic group has a common ancestor known as Oduduwa [18]. The people are deeply rooted in their culture, traditions, and beliefs, irrespective of their locations. This trait persists among Yoruba immigrants in Europe and America and descendants of Yoruba ex-slaves in the Caribbean and Brazil, among others [19].

The Yorùbá culture places profound significance on the mouth, viewing it as more than a biological organ for eating and speaking [20]. Embedded in metaphysical beliefs, oral traditions, and social practices, analysed [20]. Orature (oral literature) such as fables, myths, legends, and proverbs is central to Yorùbá life, serving as tools for moral education and cultural preservation [21]. These sacred orature (of Ifá, Yorùbá deity of wisdom and divination), stories, and sayings provide a framework for behaviour, emphasizing communal values [21]. Proverbs are succinct expressions of ancestral wisdom, used to convey morals, caution, and social norms. These narratives guide individual and collective behaviour, reinforcing values and shaping the individual behaviour and cultural identity [21]. It reinforces norms, preserves the cultural etiquette, and maintains the discipline and the indivisibility of the community [21].

In Yorùbá cosmology, the mouth is both a physical and spiritual entity [20]. It is associated with “àṣẹ” (authority) and is viewed as a channel for blessings or curses [20]. Proverbs, maxims, and Ifá verses reveal how deeply oral health intertwines with spiritual well-being, underscoring the belief that the mouth impacts personal and communal success [20]. This influences the Yorùbá’s long-standing practices of maintaining oral hygiene, highlighting the community’s emphasis on cleanliness and oral health.

However, aesthetics and cultural norms sometimes take precedence over medical oral health interventions, making cultural beliefs both barriers and facilitators to improving oral health. For example, treatable conditions like tooth loss (attributed to vomiting during labour or seen as natural) or diastema (viewed as a sign of beauty) may be misperceived as inevitable [21]. Understanding this cultural-health intersection is vital for addressing oral health disparities. There is a need to leverage the potential of Yorùbá traditions to design culturally tailored oral health interventions that can foster trust and promote sustainable changes in oral health behaviours.

This study delves into the cultural dimensions of oral health among the Yorùbá, focusing on traditional norms, values, proverbs, taboos, and societal attitudes toward dental conditions. Understanding these cultural narratives is essential for designing effective public health interventions that create a bridge between cultural practices and modern healthcare, ensuring better oral health outcomes for all. This study aimed to explore how Yorùbá cultural beliefs, oral traditions, and oral health practices influence the utilization of modern dental services.

Methods

Study design

This was a qualitative study that used a phenomenological research design. A reflexive approach was also used to capture the nuanced interplay between Yorùbá culture and oral health practices.

Study population

Participants were recruited through a public call targeting individuals interested in discussing cultural and oral health practices. Interested individuals joined a WhatsApp-based community of practice via a shared link. Before joining, participants were asked about their motivation to participate through a chat on their WhatsApp numbers. Only individuals expressing interest in sharing perspectives on Yorùbá culture and oral health were included; those solely interested in herbal remedies or passive learning were excluded. Participants included cultural scholars, oral health professionals, community leaders, philosophers, and others with an understanding of the Yorùbá tradition.

Study procedure

A WhatsApp group was established as the central platform for discussion. This virtual community of 113 members provided a space for sharing insights, documents, and multimedia related to Yorùbá cultural beliefs, oral health practices, and associated narratives. Discussions were facilitated for six weeks.

A moderator (MOF, the first author) facilitated discussions and encouraged active engagement from all participants. The moderated sessions aimed to explore the interplay between the Yorùbá culture and oral health, focusing on beliefs, taboos, and traditional remedies, while fostering intellectual dialogue to inform oral health promotion strategies.

Participants were introduced to the discourse via a summary of a background manuscript [20]. The authors of the background manuscript examined how traditional Yorùbá cultural and spiritual beliefs about the mouth (viewed as a symbolic portal linking physical, spiritual, and social realms) shape oral health perceptions and practices in Nigeria. It explores the integration of indigenous metaphysical concepts with contemporary hygiene, revealing their significant influence on community health behaviours and outcomes.

Participants were asked to reflect on the findings of the background manuscript and their understanding of the link between Yorùbá adages, proverbs, songs, and the use of modern dental facilities. The inclusion of Yorùbá adages, proverbs, and songs in discussions about oral health practices reflects a deliberate effort to ground the research in cultural context, recognizing that these elements are central to the Yorùbá worldview [22]. Using reflexivity to further explore this connection enabled a critical examination of how cultural beliefs both inform and challenge the utilization of modern dental services [23].

Over six weeks, discussions addressed specific themes that aligned with the study objectives. First, the moderator explored with participants their perspective about the cultural significance of the mouth, traditional remedies, and sociocultural implications of oral health, encouraging reflection on culturally significant expressions. A second facilitated session focused on the participants’ perception of the normalization of dental pathologies, spiritual and aesthetic values of teeth, traditional remedies’ integration into modern dentistry, and stigma’s impact on healthcare-seeking behaviour. The third moderated session examined taboos about the teeth, childhood oral health practices, and the alignment of cultural practices with public health strategies, prompting critical reflection on their contemporary relevance.

Facilitation techniques included: collaborative engagement through open-ended questions; iterative summaries to maintain continuity; cultural anchoring using proverbs and anecdotes; and synthesis of contributions into actionable insights to drive the next dialogue session. Perspectives of Yorùbá proverbs, songs, folklore, and Ifá literary corpus related to oral health and hygiene were shared, personal experiences were also shared, and archival materials and existing literature on Yorùbá cultural health practices [24–30] were reviewed and discussed jointly.

Data analysis

MOF led the curation and analysis of the data. The data were coded and analysed thematically to identify recurring patterns, cultural significances, and areas where traditional Yorùbá oral health practices align or conflict with modern healthcare approaches. Dialogues were treated as qualitative data and coded inductively to capture recurring themes. Codes (e.g., “traditional remedies,” “spiritual significance,” “stigma,” “aesthetic values”) were derived inductively from the text and context. Specific focus was placed on oral traditions, proverbs, and folk narratives that influence oral health perceptions and practices. Codes were grouped into broader categories reflecting key dimensions of oral health and refined iteratively based on emerging patterns and themes during the analysis.

Although MOF led the data curation and thematic analysis, the development of the coding framework was a collaborative effort involving multiple co-authors. Preliminary codes were generated by MOF and shared with three selected co-authors representing diverse disciplinary perspectives. These collaborators independently reviewed a sample of the dataset and provided feedback, which was used to refine the coding structure. While formal inter-coder reliability was not calculated, consistency was ensured through iterative peer debriefing and consensus-building discussions.

Themes were developed to identify common cultural beliefs, such as the preference for white teeth as a marker of health and social status or the normalization of pathologies like malocclusion. Oral health practices were analysed for their spiritual and symbolic meanings. Insights were drawn on how traditional beliefs and remedies diverge from modern oral healthcare recommendations, with implications for delayed clinic visits or reliance on home remedies.

Emerging themes were juxtaposed with modern dental practices to identify areas of alignment and conflict. The spiritual and social symbolism of oral health traits was compared to biomedical health standards. The role of stigma in healthcare-seeking behaviour was also analysed. The study employed a “suspicion interpretation” framework [31], an analytical approach designed to uncover hidden dimensions and latent meanings that may be obscured or downplayed. This method enabled the authors to move beyond superficial readings of Yorùbá proverbs, the Ifá literary corpus, and traditional maxims, to reveal deeper insights and interpretations that might otherwise remain unnoticed or misunderstood. Discussions at the validation meeting explored the accuracy of interpretations and sought input on any overlooked cultural nuances.

Emerging themes were validated through a two-hour community workshop with over 80 Yorùbá cultural leaders, traditional healers, and community members present physically and virtually. The contributions made by participants at the workshop were harnessed to ensure cultural and analytical accuracy. This approach enabled consensus building through discussion, reflection, and external validation rather than through formal adjudication among researchers.

This study applied rigorous qualitative methods to ensure trustworthiness based on Lincoln and Guba’s criteria [32]. Credibility was achieved through data triangulation, while reflexivity minimized bias. Transferability was supported by rich descriptions and the participation of the diverse membership of the community of practice that made inputs to the study. Dependability was ensured through a detailed audit trail, peer debriefing, and the use of an interpretive analytic framework. Confirmability was maintained by following ethical safeguards. Potential digital exclusion was addressed by validating findings with non-digital stakeholders, and the cultural specificity of the study was carefully contextualized to support future comparative research [33].

Ethical considerations

Informed consent was sought from participants for the use of their insights and contributions. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Institute of Public Health, Obafemi Awolowo University institutional review board (IPH/OAU/12/2742). The study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki principles and the Nigerian Code for Health Research, ensuring voluntary participation, minimizing harm, and respecting autonomy. Confidentiality was maintained through pseudonymization and thematic data aggregation.

Verbal informed consent was obtained from all participants before using their contributions, a method suited to the virtual community format and approved by the institutional review board. Participants were informed of the study’s purpose, data use, and their right to withdraw without penalty. Although the manuscript does not report refusal or withdrawal numbers, only individuals who explicitly consented had their contributions included in the analysis, with non-participants excluded from the analysis.

Results

Two themes and six sub-themes were identified through the inductive analysis namely: (i) Proverbs, Songs, and Folklore; (ii) Taboos and Stigmatized Conditions; (iii) Home-Based Remedies; (iv) Spiritual and Herbal Practices; (v) Normalization of Pathologies; and (vi) Cultural Resistance to Modern Dentistry.

Theme 1: Cultural significance of dental service utilisation

Subtheme 1: Folklore: Yorùbá folklore often links oral health to wealth, beauty, and social standing. For instance, the oríkì (praise name) Eyínfúnjowó (“teeth whiter than money”) symbolizes the value placed on white, clean teeth as a sign of prosperity and respectability. Similarly, the adage Wọ̀ntìwọ̀nti kọ́ ni eyín, bí eyín ò bá ju méjì lẹ́nu, ko ti ṣàá funfun’ (It is not about the quantity of the teeth in the mouth, even if they are just two teeth left, as long as they are white) underscores the cultural emphasis on dental aesthetics over structural health. Such narratives reflect the societal judgment tied to oral health and its influence on personal identity.

Cowries (the legal tender before paper money) were likened to teeth for their whiteness and texture, highlighting the value of healthy, clean teeth as a social status symbol. (Participant 3)

“Funfun ni iyì eyín” – ‘Whiteness is the dignity of teeth – that comes from the odu Ifa that says ‘Funfun ni iyì eyín, ẹ̀gùn gàgààgà niyì orun, ọmú ṣíkí ṣìkí ṣíkí niyì ọbìrin (The beauty of teeth is whiteness Interconnected bone is the beauty of the neck Robust breast is the beauty of a woman).’ This aligns whiteness with honour and respect, framing oral aesthetics as integral to personal and communal identity. (Participant 7)

“Jí ko rórín” (clean your teeth with a chewing stick when you wake up). This traditional song highlights the importance of daily oral hygiene practices in Yorùbá communities. (Participant 15)

Subtheme 2: Taboos and Stigmatized Conditions: Certain dental conditions, such as overlapping teeth (Eyín tó tayọ wàhálà ẹnu ni, Gbendeweru) or upper teeth erupting before lower teeth (Eyín òkè, awuraye), are considered taboos with spiritual connotations. These conditions are often linked to bad omens, necessitating corrective measures like tooth removal. Such beliefs can drive stigmatisation, influencing healthcare-seeking behaviours. Derogatory terms like ẹlẹ́nu rírùn (bad breath, smelly mouth) further highlight the societal weight of oral health as a marker of character and hygiene.

In Yorùbá culture, overlapping teeth are regarded as spiritually significant, often believed to mark a child as possessed, necessitating corrective measures such as tooth removal. (Participant 14)

Oral hygiene and aesthetics are markers of respectability, with terms like ‘ẹlẹ́nu rírùn’ (bad breath, smelly mouth) critiquing an individual’s hygiene and character, reinforcing the cultural weight of oral health in societal judgments. (Participant 17)

One of Yorùbá proverbs says ‘Mélòó la ó kà nínú eyín adípèlé, tinú ọrún, tòde igba, òjìlénírínwó èrìjì ló forí múlẹ̀ láìyọ’ it means ‘the task of counting the teeth of a person with an overlapping teeth “adípèlé” is challenging; the ones inside are a hundred, the ones outside are two hundred; four hundred and two gums are firmly rooted in his mouth.’ The adage “Mélòó la ó kà nínú eyín adípèlé…” metaphorically highlights the abundance and complexity inherent in counting or assessing something detailed, such as the layers of a task. Applied to dental service utilization, it underscores the multifaceted barriers individuals face, such as affordability, accessibility, cultural beliefs, or fear of treatment. This complexity may explain delays in seeking professional care, as individuals rely on simpler or home-based remedies until issues worsen. The adage emphasizes the need for comprehensive strategies to address these interconnected challenges (Participant 12)

Subtheme 3: Home-Based Remedies: The Yorùbá have long relied on accessible home remedies for oral health, such as chewing sticks (e.g. orín ata, orín idi, pákò) and saltwater rinses. These practices, embedded in oral traditions, emphasize the antibacterial properties of natural substances. While these remedies often delay the progression of oral diseases, they also contribute to the normalization of suboptimal oral health conditions, delaying visits to modern dental clinics.

The Yorùbá have a deep-rooted tradition of using an array of herbal remedies for oral health that are readily accessible in the homes. The remedy can be in the form of chewing sticks – Emigbegiri, orín ata, orín idi, aringo, pepe, arunjeran, osan wewe, isunsun, and afunsese trees, - clean soft underwater sand, and ogege and làpálàpá whose wax can be used to flush dirty/sticky tongue. (Participant 7)

The routine use of these traditional remedies is readily accessible in the home as a first-line medical recourse for the prevention and management of oral health problems. (Participant 22)

Dental clinics are generally not popular among the uneducated Yorùbá because many tend not to realize there is any problem with their teeth as long as they can eat without a toothache. (Participant 8)

Subtheme 4: Spiritual and Herbal Practices: Oral health is also linked to spiritual beliefs, with Ifá divination and ancestor worship often invoked for diagnosis and treatment. Herbal remedies, including neem and African cherry bark, are used for their antimicrobial properties, reflecting a holistic approach to health that integrates physical and spiritual well-being.

In Yorùbá cosmology, the mouth is both a physical and spiritual entity. It is associated with àṣẹ (authority) and is viewed as a channel for blessings or curses. Proverbs, maxims, and Ifá verses reveal how deeply oral health intertwines with spiritual well-being, underscoring the belief that the mouth impacts personal and communal success. (Participant 13)

The Yorùbá have long-standing practices for maintaining oral hygiene, including the use of chewing sticks derived from local plants with antibacterial properties. These practices, while rooted in tradition, highlight the community’s emphasis on cleanliness and oral health. (Participant 13)

Traditional Yorùbá remedies for teeth and oral health issues are rooted in the culture’s rich heritage of herbalism and spiritual practices. Examples include the use of neem twigs for brushing teeth, and African cherry bark for treating toothaches and gum inflammation. Also, Ifá divination is used to diagnose and treat oral health issues, with spiritual beliefs linking oral conditions to ancestral influences. (Participant 9)

Theme 2: Modern implications of cultural practices

Subtheme 5: Normalization of Pathologies: Dental pathologies, such as pockets and diastema, are normalized or even celebrated in Yorùbá culture. Diastema, for instance, is considered fashionable and desirable, as reflected in the oríkì Èjíwùmi (I find diastema attractive). In addition, the open use of toothpicks for picking food pieces stuck between the teeth normalizes pathological pockets. The adage a fi orí wù ewu, a ò fi èrìgì jẹ ọbì (the head would grow grey hair, and the toothless gum would eat kolanut) normalises edentulism at old age. Losing teeth as one ages is, therefore, not abnormal. The cultural acceptance of oral pathologies as normal features of daily life can delay clinical interventions. This reinforces the need for public health campaigns that address these perceptions while respecting cultural values. Here are some quotes from the document to substantiate the subtheme:

Yorùbá culture finds diastema attractive and fashionable. Hence, the alias Èjíwùmi (I find diastema attractive) takes a medical condition from being shameful to becoming desirable in the culture. (Participant 3)

The adage ‘Ẹni tí ó bá jẹ panla tí kò bá tayín, tí ó bá jẹ gbèsè, kò níí san.‘It means ‘a person who eats a delicious meal and does not pick his teeth (in appreciation), is unlikely to repay his loan (because he fails to appreciate kind gestures)’ reflects the acceptance of pockets, a pathological feature, as an honourable status. (Participant 22)

‘Eyín tó tayọ lẹ́nu, wàhálà ẹnu ni’ and ‘Gbendeweru’, it means ‘a tooth that does not blend in with the teeth, creates problems for the mouth’ reflect negative connotations to malocclusions that result from poor arrangements of the teeth. (Participant 8)

Sub-theme 6: Cultural Resistance to Modern Dentistry: The preference for traditional remedies over clinical care is partly driven by cultural norms, affordability, and accessibility. The cost of modern dental care and the perception that clinics prioritize tooth extraction over preservation further discourage utilization. Integrating traditional practices into modern dentistry could enhance trust and improve early presentation to clinics. Here are key quotes from the document that substantiate the sub-theme:

In Yorùbá culture, the arrangement and appearance of teeth are believed to have spiritual significance and can influence a person’s destiny or personality. (Participant 9)

Dental clinic is generally not popular among the non-literateYorùbá because many tend not to realize there is any problem with their teeth as long as they can eat with their mouth without any toothache. (Participant 23)

The major problem is our attitude towards our culture generally. Unless we understand and appreciate the value of our culture and the dangers that have been created towards our culture by other cultures, it will be difficult to address concerns about the uptake of modern dentistry. Unless the policymakers understand, appreciate, and value our culture, it might be difficult for them to be guided by our cultural beliefs (Participant 21)

Discussion

This study highlights how cultural beliefs and practices may have influenced the low utilization of modern dental services in Nigeria. These cultural nuances encompass traditional remedies, taboos, and spiritual associations with oral health, shaping attitudes toward professional dental care. This aesthetic preference may lead to neglect of functional dental care. As such, the focus on whiteness and appearance often overshadows the need for preventive or curative interventions, such as treatment for cavities or periodontal diseases. Traditional songs and folklore emphasize daily hygiene as sufficient, contributing to resistance against seeking professional care for deeper issues.

Furthermore, stigma attached to poor oral hygiene—viewed not only as a health issue but also a judgment of character—may discourage individuals from seeking professional help, as it may result in public shame or social exclusion. The cultural weight of these terms and the associated taboos lead to a preference for traditional home remedies, which are seen as more socially acceptable for treating perceived “bad” teeth. Reliance on home-based remedies (e.g., chewing sticks, bitter leaf sticks, saltwater rinses), which possess antimicrobial activities [34–39], delays disease progression, contributes to normalizing suboptimal oral health, and drives under-utilization of modern services. Under-utilization is further driven by cultural beliefs intertwining the mouth, oral health, and spiritual well-being, underscoring the holistic approach to health that combines both physical and spiritual remedies. The communities often view this approach as more reliable than clinical interventions, leading to the sidelining of modern clinical care.

The Health Belief Model provides a robust theoretical framework for interpreting the study’s findings. It describes individuals’ belief regarding the likelihood of getting a particular health condition, the belief in the effectiveness of taking action to reduce risk or seriousness of the health condition, perception on obstacles or costs associated with taking action to reduce the risk or seriousness of a health condition, and the triggers that prompt individuals to take action, such as symptoms, media campaigns, or recommendations from health care providers [40]. The population’s reliance on traditional remedies reflects a low perceived susceptibility to severe dental issues, believing that these methods are sufficient. Despite prioritising oral health, stigma (linking poor aesthetics to moral failing), cost concerns, and fear of judgment discourage seeking professional care and reinforce the use of affordable, accessible, and culturally aligned traditional remedies. Ironically, cultural cues from Yorùbá oral health songs, folklore, and adages emphasise daily hygiene and promote oral self-care, but do not advocate for professional care. This seems to strengthen the perception that spiritual and physical remedies sufficiently address oral health needs.

These research findings suggest that integrating traditional practices with modern dentistry can help bridge the gap between cultural beliefs and professional dental care. Incorporating culturally significant traditions and engaging communities in discussions about the benefits of early dental interventions, trust in modern dental practices can be strengthened. One effective way to encourage such discussions in Nigeria is through music, which is deeply rooted in the country’s rich heritage and oral traditions. Music is a powerful medium for storytelling, education, and advocacy in Nigerian society. In Yorùbá culture, for example, songs are not only tools for entertainment but also for moral instruction, serving as a mirror of communal values. The songs and proverbs often emphasize themes like cleanliness, moderation, and holistic health. The Yorùbá praise poetry tradition, ewì, can be particularly effective for conveying meaningful messages [41]. Culturally relevant music simplifies complex ideas, enhances message retention, and fosters community engagement [42]. Adapting these oral health topics into modern genres (Fuji, Afrobeat, or Highlife) and collaborating with local artists could effectively raise awareness about oral health. This approach ensures that messages are relatable and resonate with diverse audiences, fostering trust and promoting early adoption of beneficial health practices.

In addition, dental practitioners could adopt more culturally sensitive approaches that acknowledge the spiritual and aesthetic importance of oral health while promoting the medical benefits of early dental intervention. Currently, dentistry predominantly views the mouth and teeth as pathological entities, focusing on diagnosing and treating physical conditions. For the Yorùbá, the mouth holds a profound significance that goes beyond its physical functions—it is also regarded as a spiritual entity. The divergence between modern dentistry’s emphasis on pathology and the Yorùbá’s holistic perspective underscores the need for culturally informed practices that acknowledge both the physical and spiritual dimensions of health. Addressing this requires dental schools in southwestern Nigeria (the primary Yorùbá region), to revise curricula to reflect this cultural reality. Such a revision would signify a move toward a decolonized approach to dental education—one that remains sensitive to the local context while integrating the benefits of modern dental practices. In addition, this paradigm shift could pave the way for new research focused on understanding how local cultural contexts can be incorporated into clinical practice. This approach would foster greater trust between clinicians and communities, enhance health outcomes, and promote a more culturally respectful model of oral healthcare.

Clinically, these insights call for culturally sensitive interventions that incorporate Yorùbá beliefs into public health messaging. This might involve collaborating with traditional healers or using culturally resonant media like oral poetry and Afrobeat music to promote preventive care, integrate local beliefs to reduce stigma, and build trust and public health strategies that must also counteract the normalization of dental issues by promoting early intervention while respecting cultural preferences.

These findings align with broader research showing that cultural beliefs shape oral health behaviours worldwide [21], and they support the complementary role of traditional remedies [43]. However, Yorùbá-specific spiritual taboos and the aesthetic framing of oral health present unique contrasts to biomedical models that prioritize structural integrity. Ultimately, the study underscores the importance of bridging cultural and clinical perspectives by co-creating solutions with communities and addressing barriers such as cost and access.

A key strength of this study is its nuanced exploration of the Yorùbá culture’s influence on oral health practices, offering valuable insight into how cultural context shapes healthcare behaviour. The use of a virtual community of practice (via WhatsApp) for participant engagement is an innovative approach to qualitative research, leveraging digital platforms to foster dialogue and inclusivity. Participant diversity, community validation of the study results, and inductive thematic analysis strengthen the evidence generated for targeted public health interventions. Furthermore, by asking participants to reflect on Yorùbá oral traditions in the context of modern dentistry, the study created a space for cultural self-awareness, both for the researchers and the community.

Despite the strengths, the study has a few limitations. First, the exclusive focus on the Yorùbá community limits the applicability of findings to other cultural groups or contexts, as oral health practices and beliefs vary widely across different ethnicities and regions. Second, social media recruitment platforms may have excluded those with limited digital access, potentially under-representing certain demographics. Third, the study lacked sufficient comparative exploration of other structural or economic barriers to dental service utilisation, risking overemphasis on stigma. Future studies could address these limitations by expanding the sample size, including broader demographic representation, and incorporating quantitative methods to complement the qualitative findings. In addition, exploring how traditional and modern practices intersect in other Nigerian or African communities could provide a comparative perspective, enriching the understanding of cultural influences on oral health.

Conclusion

The study underscores that effective oral health interventions in Yorùbá communities must bridge, not bypass, cultural beliefs. Leveraging traditions (e.g., oral storytelling for health messaging) while addressing structural gaps can transform barriers into facilitators for equitable care. Future research should explore scaling this model to other ethnic groups in Nigeria.

Author contributions

M.O.F conceived the study, curated and analysed the data anddeveloped the first draft of the document. OTB, EO, ET OB, BJB, FOO, NKA, BAO, JOO, AA, AAO, OO, AOJ, IDA, GF, MJO, and OST read the draft manuscript and made intellectual contribution prior to the final draft. All authors approved the final manuscript for submission.

Funding

This research was supported by grants from TETFUND, Nigeria: DVC/RID/CE/UNIV/ILE-IFE/IBR/2023/VOL.1/020.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analysed for the study are summarised in the publication.

Declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Verbal Informed consent was sought from participants for the use of their insights and contributions. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Institute of Public Health, Obafemi Awolowo University institutional review board (IPH/OAU/12/2742). The study was implemented following the Declaration of Helsinki.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

Morẹ́nikẹ́ Oluwátóyìn Foláyan is a Senior Editorial Board member with the BMC Oral Health. All other authors declare no conflict of interest.