Signs and Symptoms
- Most often natal teeth are mandibular central incisors.
- They have little root structure and are attached to the end of the gum by soft tissue and are often mobile.
- Natal teeth can cause discomfort and pain for the infant.
- They may lead to difficulty in breastfeeding or bottle-feeding.
- In some cases, natal teeth can cause injury to the infant's tongue or lips.
Causes
- Natal teeth are usually not related to a medical condition.
- However, they may be associated with certain syndromes such as Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, Hallermann-Streiff syndrome, Pierre Robin syndrome, and Sotos syndrome.
- The exact etiology for natal teeth is unknown.
- Factors like heredity, environmental toxicants, endocrine disturbances, and superficial position of tooth germ may contribute to the development of natal teeth.
- Certain genetic factors may also play a role in the occurrence of natal teeth.
Treatment
- No intervention is usually recommended unless the natal teeth are causing difficulty to the infant or mother.
- However, some recommend removing natal teeth if they can cut or amputate the tip of the tongue.
- It is generally advised to leave natal teeth in the mouth as long as possible to decrease the likelihood of removing permanent tooth buds.
- Natal teeth should not be removed if the infant has hypoprothrombinemia.
- In case of complications requiring removal, dental radiographs should be obtained and evaluated by paediatric dentists.
Notable cases
- Napoleon Bonaparte, Louis XIV, Richard III, Ivan the Terrible, and Hannibal are historical figures known to have had natal teeth.
- Kate Mulgrew, an actress, is also reported to have had natal teeth.
- Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau, Cardinal Mazarin, and Cardinal Richelieu are other notable individuals with natal teeth.
- Zoroaster, a religious figure, is also mentioned as having had natal teeth.
- These examples serve as historical references for the occurrence of natal teeth.
References
- Seminario, AL; Ivancaková, R (2004). Natal and neonatal teeth. Acta Medica, 47(4), 229–33. doi:10.14712/18059694.2018.96. PMID15841901.
- Ardeshana, A., Bargale, S., Karri, A., & Dave, B. (2016). Dentitia Praecox - Natal Teeth: A Case Report and Review (PDF). Journal of Applied Dental and Medical Sciences, 2(1). Retrieved 2018-11-08.
- Massler, M., & Savara, BS (1950). Natal and neonatal teeth: a review of 24 cases reported in the literature. The Journal of paediatrics, 36(3), 349–59. doi:10.1016/S0022-3476(50)80105-1. PMID15405415.
- Khandelwal, V., Nayak, U. A., Nayak, P. A., & Bafna, Y. (2013). Management of an infant having natal teeth. BMJ Case Reports, 2013, bcr2013010049. doi:10.1136/bcr-2013-010049. PMC3703024. PMID23737593.
- Leung, A. K., & Robson, W. L. (2006). Natal Teeth: A Review. Journal of the National Medical Association, 98(2), 226–8. PMC2595049. PMID16708508.
Natal teeth are teeth that are present above the gumline (have already erupted) at birth, and neonatal teeth are teeth that emerge through the gingiva during the first month of life (the neonatal period).
Neonatal teeth | |
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Other names | Natal teeth |
Specialty | Dentistry |
The incidence of neonatal teeth varies considerably, between 1:700 and 1:30,000 depending on the type of study; the highest prevalence is found in the only study that relies on personal examination of patients.
Natal teeth, and neonatal teeth, can be the baby's normal deciduous teeth, sprouting prematurely. These should be preserved, if possible. Alternately, they could be supernumerary teeth, extra teeth, not part of the normal allotment of teeth.