Nevatha Mathialagan
Wellesley College
Project
What’s in a Smile? An Anthropological Perspective of Oral Health
Switzerland, Hong Kong, Nepal, South Africa, Peru
A smile is universal. We use our mouths to eat, talk, and express ourselves. What happens when a smile starts to falter? At some point in their lives, most people will need to see an oral healthcare provider for dental problems. During my Watson year, I will use an anthropological approach to study oral healthcare infrastructures and attitudes towards oral health at the international, national, and local levels in five countries. In order to gain an anthropological understanding of oral health, I will shadow and interview a variety of dentists, public health officials, professors, alternative medicine providers, aestheticians, and volunteers. Through my project, I hope to gain an understanding of oral health policymaking, varying cultural attitudes towards oral health, and the interplay between international, national, and local institutions of oral health.