Why does my 3.5 year old daughter have an extra set of teeth erupting behind her molars?

Question

Hi doctor,

My 3-year-old daughter has all 20 teeth. She recently got sick with four days of fever. Then, she suddenly said that her teeth hurt. She does not seem to have intense pain and is happy and playing. But, when I asked her to point to where it hurt, she pointed on both sides at the back of her mouth, behind her molars. I looked with a flashlight and saw some new teeth erupting behind her molars. My mother-in-law, who is a registered nurse, agrees that they look like tooth buds. I got a dental appointment for next month, but I am confused. I cannot find any information on extra teeth in toddlers, in particular on both sides of the mouth. Is this possible?

Please help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

An extra set of teeth or supernumerary teeth in toddlers is a rare finding, with less than 1 % occurrence. And, that too near the molar is very rare. It can be a rare case of deciduous supernumerary teeth or an early eruption of a permanent molar tooth. Although it is too soon for the eruption, exceptional and rare cases can never be denied. So, my suggestion is to get an X-ray of both sides or a panoramic X-ray done, to find the exact cause. Please send me the X-rays so that I can guide you better.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.