Natal Teeth

What are natal teeth?

Natal teeth are teeth that your baby has when they’re born. They usually happen in pairs, and they’re usually central teeth (incisors) in your baby’s lower jaw. Experts aren’t sure why they happen. But research indicates they might be inherited or be a symptom of certain conditions.

While babies can have teeth at birth, it isn’t common. A 2023 analysis found that about 1 in every 289 newborns worldwide has natal teeth.

Are there different types of natal teeth?

Natal teeth are teeth that you have at birth. Some people also refer to them as neonatal teeth, but they aren’t the same thing.

You don’t have neonatal teeth when you’re born. They appear within the first month of your life. Natal teeth are also much more common, with 3 cases of natal teeth for every 1 case of neonatal teeth.

Natal and neonatal teeth can be:

• Immature. These teeth aren’t fully developed and often don’t have a complete structure. But that might take imaging scans to see.
• Mature. These teeth are fully developed and are — for the most part — normal.

Natal and neonatal teeth can also be supernumerary teeth. That means they’re extra teeth beyond the usual number that most people have.

What are the most common causes of natal teeth?

Experts aren’t completely sure why some babies have natal teeth. There’s evidence that it could be a combination of factors. Some of the potential causes or factors include:

• Genetics. Natal teeth may run in families. That might be because children inherit the trait of their tooth germ (the clusters of cells that will later become teeth) being shallow. It might also be due to genetic disorders.
• Infections. Congenital syphilis may make natal teeth more likely to happen.
• Endocrine conditions. Overactive thyroid, pituitary or other glands may increase the odds of a baby having natal teeth.
• Chemicals. Exposure to certain hormone-disrupting chemicals may increase the odds of your baby having natal teeth. Examples include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) — which are banned in the U.S. — and dibenzofuran.

Genetic disorders

Research links several genetic disorders as possible causes or contributors to natal teeth. They include:

• Ectodermal dysplasia
• Ellis-van Creveld syndrome
• Hallermann-Streiff syndrome
• Pachyonychia congenita
• Pallister-Hall syndrome
• Pfeiffer syndrome
• Pierre Robin syndrome
• Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome
• Sotos syndrome
• Steatocystoma multiplex
• Wiedemann-Rautenstrauch syndrome

Most of the above conditions are very rare. Several of them also involve a gene that controls how your body uses proteins called keratins. Those proteins are part of tissues like fingernails, toenails, the palms of your hands and soles of your feet. That protein, KRT17, also plays a role in tooth development, but experts don’t fully understand how yet.

How are natal teeth treated?

Your baby may not need treatment for their natal teeth. If they do, a dental specialist will remove the teeth. This is only necessary when natal teeth:

• Move too easily, meaning they could come loose
• Are immature, and have a weak or underdeveloped structure
• Cause pain or injure the breastfeeding (chestfeeding) parent
• Damage your baby’s tongue (Riga-Fede disease)

In cases where these teeth need removing, your baby’s provider will refer you to a dental specialist who can help.

Can natal teeth be prevented?

Natal teeth happen unpredictably and for reasons experts don’t fully understand. That means there’s no way to prevent them.

When should natal teeth be treated by a doctor or healthcare provider?

A healthcare provider will do a physical exam on your baby as soon as possible after they’re born. That exam includes getting their height, weight and looking for symptoms of any conditions. Looking inside your baby’s mouth is a standard part of that procedure. That’s how experts typically find this symptom.

Healthcare providers may also do other tests, like DNA tests, to determine if a genetic condition is why your baby has natal teeth. They may also take X-rays of your baby’s teeth to see if the natal teeth might need removal.