It is not usual, it occurs in one of every 3,000 births, but there are babies born with teeth. In reality, everyone is born with tooth buds, but they still do not appear through the gum until about six months after delivery.
However, there are babies born with part or all of the tooth that has erupted before normal time. They are called natal teeth and those who leave within the first month of life, are called neonatal teeth.
There is no mathematical rule for the age at which the teeth come out, but in most babies the first tooth appears between six and eight months, although it is also normal for them to appear sooner or later.
The natal teeth are more frequent in girls than in boys, and generally, they are the lower central incisors. You can leave one or both at the same time. Although its prevalence is low, it is more common to see natal teeth than neonatal teeth.
Why are babies born with teeth?
The baby's teeth begin to form in the womb. Within a few weeks of pregnancy the basic substance of the baby teeth is formed and later, around 3 or 4 months of gestation, the hard tissue that surrounds the teeth begins to form.
Normally, the teeth just formed and begin to erupt throughout the first year of life, however a superficial positioning of the developing dental germ It can cause the first or first teeth to appear early.
The appearance of the natal and neonatal teeth is usually associated with hereditary factors, but they can also appear without a history. They were linked to the mother's lack of vitamins, feverish conditions and other disorders, but no cause-effect has been established with any of them.
In some children, the natal or neonatal teeth may be a localized manifestation of a syndrome, abnormalities such as palate or cleft lip, or environmental factors, which is why these children must be followed up more closely.
Appearance and complications of the natal and neonatal teeth
The natal teeth are teeth that have erupted permaturely, therefore they may not have the appearance of a normal tooth or have it but have not fully developed the root.
By not having the root structure fully developed, the teeth are not well fixed to the gum, so they often move.
When the degree of mobility is important, the possibility of extracting the tooth is considered due to the risk that the baby could aspirate it, although no cases of this type have been recorded.
Therefore, the natal and neonatal teeth should not be extracted unless they are markedly immature and mobile.
The natal teeth can cause ulcerations in the baby's tongue when breastfeeding causing it to reject the mother's breast. Ulceration of the mother's nipples is more a myth than a reality, since when breastfeeding the baby places the tongue around the nipple so that the teeth do not have contact.
In most cases, nothing should be done when the child is born with teeth, unless it could cause feeding problems or cause mouth injuries.
Children born with teeth tend to have a tendency to earliest eruption of baby teeth and they also begin to change their teeth earlier than normal.
Myths and beliefs about babies born with teeth
In ancient times they were attributed different social meanings. It was believed that children born with teeth were favored by God or were magicians. On the contrary, in countries such as Indonesia, Poland or China, they were considered monstrous children or signified by misfortunes.
It is said that famous people such as Louis XIV, Ricardo III, Napoleon, Cardinal Mazarin, Haannibal and Cardinal Richelieu were born with teeth.
