269 - Natal and Neonatal Teeth in Mississippi Newborns

Natal and neonatal teeth are a rare phenomenon in dentistry. Natal teeth, which are present at birth, and neonatal teeth, which erupt in the first 30 days of life, occur in 1:2000-3500 births. Most often these are the true primary teeth of the patient. Natal and neonatal teeth tend to be underdeveloped, mobile and discolored. The teeth can also cause issues for a nursing mother and her baby. Riga-Fede disease may occur, a sublingual ulceration of the tongue from the continuous rubbing of the teeth. The cause of this eruption disturbance is unknown. At our pediatric dental clinic at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, we were consulted 18 times regarding natal and neonatal teeth between May 2020 and May 2024. The goal of this study is to determine if any similarities exist between these patients and if so, could these determinants be a cause of natal and neonatal teeth.

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