Bali’s Governor Made Mangku Pastika attended a “mass tooth filing” in Denpasar held on Sunday. The ceremony saw 344 people, predominated by young men and women in traditional dress, have their teeth and canine teeth filed flat in a ceremony that is a mandatory right of passage for every devout Balinese.Speaking at the ceremony Pastika said he hoped the tooth filing ceremony will precipitate adult behavior and more thoughtful actions among those participating in the ritual. The Bali-Hindu religion “mepandes” ceremony, or tooth filing, is typically done when children enter their teenage years or for older teens on the threshold of adulthood. By filing the rough edges off one’s smile, the ceremony is also meant to usher in a more refined deportment free of ill-mannered behavior. The Governor took the occasion to express his thanks to the organizers of the mass tooth filing who provided a simple ceremony that was conducted in accordance with religious and cultural norms.50 “sangging” or traditional tooth filers performed the ceremony for 344 people.
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