2Department of Oral Medicine and Pediatric Dentistry, State University of Londrina (UEL), Londrina, Brazil
Abstract
Neonatal teeth are developmental dental anomalies that can be defined as those that erupt in the first 30 days of extrauterine life. This early eruption can lead to breastfeeding difficulties, ulcers on the tongue, and a risk of aspiration and/or swallowing. The objective of this study was to report a clinical case of neonatal teeth in a newborn, as well as the diagnosis and therapeutic approach adopted. A 20-day-old female Caucasian neonate attended the Pediatric Dental Emergency Care Service of the Infant Specialties Clinic of the Baby Clinic of the State University of Londrina (UEL) due to tooth eruption 10 days ago and difficulty breastfeeding. The intraoral physical examination revealed the presence of a tooth compatible with the lower left central incisor, presenting a hypoplastic structure, soft tissue insertion, and a severe mobility. The radiographic examination showed an image compatible with the aforementioned tooth from the normal series of deciduous dentitin and absence of root development. Given the observed dental characteristics, the chosen approach was extraction. It is concluded that clinical and radiographic conditions are fundamental for the assertive diagnosis and therapeutic planning of neonatal teeth, allowing the prevention of damage to maternal health during breastfeeding or early weaning, in addition to reducing the risk of more serious complications to the health of the newborn, such asbroncho aspiration.

