Just last week, a teenage boy in Mumbai who had more than 200 “teeth”growing in his mouth had them all removed. “Teeth”is in quotes because it turned out they weren’t his natural teeth. They were growths caused by a benign dental tumor. The boy’s name is Ashik Gavai, and he’s only 17 years old. Yet, he had to undergo an operation that lasted 6 hours, with 4 doctors tending to him.
Teeth or Denticles?
Lodged in his mouth was a complex composite odontoma – in laymen’s terms: a benign dental tumor. This tumor led to the growth of what people are calling “denticles”- abnormal growths that look a lot like teeth. These denticles grew out of the bone in Ashik’s lower right jaw and weren’t visible from the outside. His doctors said that the surgery was dangerous, likely because these growths were being removed directly from the bone. They also said that it will take up to four months for poor Ashik’s jawbone to heal.
\”It is very common for a person to have a (small) number of abnormal teeth, but this many is very rare,\” said Dr. Sunanda Dhiware, head of the Department of Dentistry at J.J. Hospital. She added that she had knowledge of cases in which patients had 40 – 50 teeth removed but didn’t state any prior experiences with denticles.
Fortunately, Ashik’s natural teeth will remain right where they’re supposed to be – although the doctors did help him out by removing a wisdom tooth. He is currently recovering in the hospital and is on a liquid diet, consisting mainly of coconut water and milk.
Dr. Vandana Thoravade, a surgeon in the ENT department of the hospital, said that the operation could have cost up to 250,000 rupees (roughly $4,000), which Ashik’s family simply could not afford. His father is a farm laborer who earns as little as $2-3 a day.
Luckily for the family, India’s government has the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojana program, which steps up and supports low-income families. The program took care of the bill, and the Gavai family can focus on their son’s recovery.
The Denticles
Ashik’s doctors said that the denticles most likely began forming when the patient was 6 years old. However, they were hard to notice because they were growing in the bone. He didn’t know about them until a month before the surgery, and even then, he only noticed because his mouth began to swell. Unfortunately, the denticles are likely to return, but hopefully they’ll grow in lower numbers.
This is certainly one of the more interesting stories we’ve heard! What about you? Let us know your weirdest dental story!
