Babies Born With Teeth: Normal Or Abnormal? Here’s What A Dental Therapist, Dr. Simon Audu Wants Us To know
Teething is a normal part of a baby’s development during the first year of life. Most babies get their first tooth between 4 and 7 months of age. The first teeth that poke through the gums are the central incisors, which are located on the bottom front.
While most infants get their first teeth months after birth, some babies are born with one or more teeth. These are called natal teeth. Natal teeth are relatively rare, occurring in about 1 out of every 2,000 births.
It can be a shock if your baby is born with a tooth or teeth. But you don’t need to worry or take action unless the teeth interfere with feeding, or are a choking hazard.
According to a dental therapist, Dr. Simon Audu, it was a developmental abnormality for a baby to be born with teeth.
Audu, the Secretary-General, Nigerian Dental Therapists Associations, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja that such births should not be linked to any superstitious or cultural beliefs.
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According to the expert, the development of teeth usually begins at five weeks of the prenatal stage of pregnancy, which enables babies to get their first tooth between four months and seven months of age.
The dental therapist further explained that on rare occasions some medical conditions and predisposing factors may cause developmental abnormalities leading to babies being born with teeth.
“For such parents, bring the babies to hospital for professional advice, the teeth can either be removed or left to be monitored if no health implication arises,”
he said.
Audu advised the public to discard superstitious beliefs attached to babies who are born with teeth, saying it could lead to societal stigmatisation as the babies could be labelled as monsters and bearers of misfortunes.
The expert also advised people to visit their dentists regularly, have adequate and balanced nutrition and adhere to oral health hygiene to prevent oral diseases.
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“The mouth is the only gateway to the body, bad oral health will affect the general health of the body,”
Audu said.