The Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25, and the Self-reporting Questionnaire-24 were used to evaluate distress among 22 Dinka and Nuer refugees to the US before and after complete restoration of four to six lower front teeth that had been extracted during childhood in Sudan. Participants reported significant improvement in levels of distress following full restoration of missing teeth, including symptoms of PTSD. These results illustrate the value of incorporating community perspectives into the selection of health treatment options for newly arriving populations. But they also emphasize the unique situation faced by each refugee population as they embark on a wholly new cultural learning process. © 2010 Author(s), 2010.

African refugees Nuer Dinka refugee acculturation Refugee mental health

Social Values cultural anthropology depression refugee anxiety disorder human Refugees middle aged Self Report Tooth Loss childhood United States Young Adult Humans Cross-Cultural Comparison male Emigrants and Immigrants Acculturation female tooth extraction questionnaire clinical article Article adult posttraumatic stress disorder distress syndrome Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic Delivery of Health Care dental surgery Sudan