Natal/Neonatal Teeth

Posted on by The Cleft Dentist

Teeth at birth??

It is not uncommon for cleft babies to be born with one or some teeth already erupted. These are also usually supernumerary teeth, or “extra teeth.”

Let’s start with some definitions you may hear from your craniofacial team during an examination…

Natal Teeth: Teeth that are present at birth above the gumline
Neonatal Teeth: Teeth that erupt during the first month of life

You’re probably thinking this is odd.  It’s actually quite common in cleft babies to not only have natal or neonatal teeth, but also to have supernumerary teeth. Don’t worry, it’s not usually a whole mouth full of extra teeth…just one or a couple. About 10% of natal teeth are also supernumerary.¹ 

Usually, teeth erupt at about 6 months of age

Meaning, teeth present at birth is an unusual finding, but it does happen.

  • Studies have found that natal/neonatal teeth are more common in bilateral cleft lip and palate babies. 
  • The most common place for a natal tooth is on the upper jaw near the cleft site

Luckily, the presence of natal/neonatal teeth does not affect the baby teeth or permanent teeth.²

What is usually done when these teeth are present?

There are problems that can occur with natal/neonatal teeth:³

  1. Risk of baby choking on loose natal/neonatal tooth
  2. Discomfort during feeding
  3. Interference with NAM appliance
  4. Ulceration on tongue from tooth

If none of the above are occurring, and the tooth is not mobile, it can generally be left alone. If the tooth is in the cleft site and asymptomatic, it can stay until the lip surgery is performed. During that surgery, the surgeon can simply remove the tooth. 

¹Tannure PN, Oliveira CA, Maia LC, Vieira AR, Granjeiro JM, Costa Mde C. Prevalence of dental anomalies in nonsyndromic individuals with cleft lip and palate: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2012 Mar; 49(2):194-200.
²Cabete HF, Gomide MR, Costa BEvaluation of primary dentition in cleft lip and palate children with and without natal/neonatal teeth.
Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2000 Jul; 37(4):406-9.
³Kadam M, Kadam D, Bhandary S, Hukkeri RY. Natal and neonatal teeth among cleft lip and palate infants. Natl J Maxillofac Surg. 2013;4(1):73–76. doi:10.4103/0975-5950.117883.