Doctors in India have removed a growth from the jaw of a 7-year-old that contained over 500 teeth. The boy, known as Ravindran, had reportedly been complaining of pain in his jaw since he was three.
Ravindran was first admitted to the hospital in Chennai, India after intense pain and swelling in his face became unbearable. X-rays revealed the boy’s lower jaw to be filled with “abnormal teeth,” according to Dr. Prathiba Ramani, of Saveetha Dental College and Hospital.
Dental surgeons then removed the growth, which was approximately four centimeters long and three centimeters wide, and later identified it as a compound composite odontoma. “Then finally we come to know that there was 526 teeth which were present in the entire sac,” said Ravindran’s surgeon, Dr. Senthilnathan.
The teeth reportedly varied in size from very small to almost fully formed. “Even the smallest piece had a crown, root and enamel coat indicating it was a tooth,” Dr. Ramani said.
Dr. Ramani further described the compound composite odontoma found in this case to be exceedingly rare. Ravindran’s surgery was said to be minimally invasive and he was released from the hospital just three days after his procedure. He is expected to make a full recovery.
