Sometimes babies have teeth that are present in their mouth at the time of their birth. They are called natal teeth and their presence is very uncommon. According to National Institute of Health studies they appear in one of 2000-3000 babies. Usually this is the set of the lower central incisors. The babies born with teeth have to be monitored because this condition could cause some problems.

What to do with the natal teeth?

The doctors should decide what to do with the natal teeth. They can be extracted before the mother has started nursing. The natal tooth can hurt the mother’s breasts and also cause choking if the tooth is loose and at some point it falls in the baby’s throat. Don’t worry if your child has lost his natal tooth because he will still have his decidous and adult teeth and won’t affect their development and eruption. If the babies are born with a loose tooth it is better to be extracted.

Another decision the dentist can take is to keep the natal tooth. If it doesn’t have pointy and sharp edges and doesn’t bother the breastfeeding the tooth can be kept. Keep in mind that it is a retention factor and should be cleaned often. That can happen by rinsing or rubbing the gums with cloth soaked in hydrogen hydroxide. If the tooth is sharp it can be polished with a bur and other polishing brushes and disks. The baby can hurt the mother’s breast and even himself when sucking his own teeth.