Management of an infant having natal teeth

Abstract

Eruption of teeth at or immediately after birth is a relatively rare phenomenon. These teeth are known as 'natal' teeth if present at birth and 'neonatal' teeth if they erupt during the first 30 days of life. Natal teeth might resemble normal primary dentition in size and shape; however, the teeth are often smaller, conical and yellowish and have hypoplastic enamel and dentin with poor or absent root formation. Complications include difficulty and discomfort during suckling, sublingual ulceration, laceration of the mother's breasts and aspiration of the teeth. These situations would warrant extraction. If the tooth does not interfere with breast feeding and is otherwise asymptomatic, no treatment is necessary. Negative cultural attitudes towards natal teeth demand good parental counselling and vigilant management in relation to child protection. Both general practice dentists and paediatric dental specialists may be involved in the supervision or treatment of patients with natal and neonatal teeth.

Excessive crying due to erupting neonatal tooth: A case report

“…The first teeth (called deciduous teeth or milk teeth) appear 6 to 24 months after birth. 4 Natal teeth are usually small in size, conical in shape and yellowish to whitish in color. They have incompletely developed enamel and dentin with poor or absent root formation.…”

Natal and neonatal teeth: a review of the literature

“…Massler y Savara , fueron los que definieron a este tipo de dientes desde hace más de 60 años, y hasta ahora es la definición más ampliamente aceptada por autores de todo el (5)(6)(7)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15) mundo ; de esta manera son llamados dientes natales aquellos que ya están presentes en el bebé al momento de su nacimiento. En cambio los dientes neonatales aparecen durante los primeros treinta días de vida.…”

“…Otro libro importante escrito por Tito Libio, con el nombre Historia Romana describe en el capítulo XLI, el caso de una niña que nació con dientes, lo que en la sociedad romana se consideraba un signo de prosperidad. Se dice que Luis XIV, Ricardo III, Napoleón, el Cardenal Mazarino, Mirabeau, Zoroaster, Haannibal y el Cardenal (4,7,17,18) Richelieu nacieron con este tipo de dientes .…”

“…Se ha observado que raramente se presentan en la región molar superior. Pueden ocurrir de forma bilateral; de hecho, algunos autores mencionan que el 61% suele (6,7,14,(30)(31)(32) presentarse en pares .…”

Treatment of Riga-Fede disease using laser therapy: clinical case report

“…Moreover, the mother was encouraged to stimulate feeding and return on the following day for follow-up ( Figure 4). injury to the mother's breast and ventral surface of the child's tongue, and whether the tooth is supernumerary or part of the normal series 8 . Treatment of the lesion on the ventral surface of the tongue may be performed by removing the causative agent or wear on the incisal edge of the tooth by using a polishing disc (of the Soflex type) 6 .…”