Most adults have 32 teeth in their mouths. Imagine having all 32 pulled at one time – crazy, right? Now imagine having 232 teeth pulled at one time – that’s is simply insane! Well, that’s exactly what was reported last week from a hospital in India. Ashik Gavai, 17 years of age, was taken to a specialty dental hospital in Mumbai by his parents for discomfort and swelling of his right jaw. After being evaluated by clinicians, he was diagnosed with a rare type of tumor called a complex composite odontoma.
An odontoma is a benign tumor originating from a tooth and containing dental tissue (enamel, dentin, or cementum). Odontomas are the second most frequent type of odontogenic tumor worldwide, and they make up about 20% of this unusual classification of tumor. A compound odontoma has identifiable tooth components. But in those who have complex composite odontoma, the tumor grows in the jaw and contains tooth-like structures, as well as blobs of enamel and dentin.
A team of oral surgeons took Ashik to the operating room, and seven hours later, they had removed 232 “toothlets” (teeth-like structures) from the young man’s mouth. His doctors claim this to be a new world record! While the tumor was deforming before the operation, surgeons were able to maintain his jaw structure, and he will therefore likely heal with no deformity. What a great story and we hope the best for the young man.
While we may not have ever removed 232 teeth at one time, McGann Facial Design is always ready to tackle your oral surgery needs. Give the office a call to schedule a consultation – you never know, your mouth may be a new world record!
