This archive report was first published on 1 August 2019.
On August 1, 2019, a remarkable medical case was reported from a hospital in Chennai, India, where a 7-year-old boy was found to have an astonishing 526 teeth in his mouth.
The boy had been experiencing jaw pain and swelling near his molars in his lower right jaw, which led to his admission to the hospital last month.
After undergoing a series of scans and x-rays, doctors discovered a sac embedded in his lower jaw filled with 'abnormal teeth,' according to Dr. Prathiba Ramani, the head of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at Saveetha Dental College and Hospital.
During a four-to-five-hour surgery, Dr. Ramani's team removed the sac and found hundreds of teeth, ranging from 0.1 millimeters to 15 millimeters in size, with even the smallest piece having a crown, root, and enamel coat.
The boy was released three days after the surgery and is expected to make a full recovery, Dr. Ramani said.
The rare condition, called compound composite odontoma, is unclear in its cause, but it could be genetic or due to environmental factors like radiation, Dr. Ramani explained.
Interestingly, the boy's parents had noticed swelling in his jaw as early as when he was three years old, but they couldn't do much about it due to his reluctance to stay still or allow doctors to examine him.
Dr. P. Senthilnathan, head of the hospital's Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, detailed the procedure to CNN, emphasizing the importance of seeking treatment for dental issues as early as possible.
