Natal and neonatal teeth: early diagnosis and management

Abstract

The eruption of teeth in newborns is a rare disorder of the oral cavity and are called ‘natal teeth’ when they are present at birth or ‘neonatal teeth’ when they erupt within the first month of life. In most of these cases, they are prematurely erupted deciduous teeth or supernumerary teeth. Supportive management should be given, to facilitate child’s feeding and to prevent further complications, such as aspiration as the tooth could be mobile. This study describes a series of cases that were reported to our department, involving teeth located in the mandibular anterior region either at birth or within a few days after birth. The choice of treatment for each child was based on individual assessment of the case, considering options such as monitoring and extraction along with their associated complications.