A 12-year-old boy loses 12 teeth at once due to a common habit among children

The boy often felt exhausted and suffered severe headaches. When his parents took him for a check-up, they discovered his condition had become serious.

In Malaysia, a 12-year-old boy had been experiencing persistent symptoms for months, including fatigue, severe headaches, dizziness, nausea, and poor appetite. His mother, Siti Nur Haliza, decided to take him for medical treatment. During the examination, doctors were shocked to find that he had severe tooth decay. The damage was so extensive that the teeth could not be saved with fillings—they had to be extracted. Recently, the boy had 12 decayed teeth removed at once and is now recovering well. The story, shared by his mother on social media, drew widespread attention online.

According to Sin Chew Daily, the mother said the symptoms began several months earlier. Every morning, the boy woke up with intense headaches, which continued even after school, accompanied by dizziness, nausea, and loss of appetite. The family initially took him to a clinic, but medication provided no improvement. Fearing the condition might worsen, his mother brought him to a major hospital for further tests.

She took him to Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital in Kuala Terengganu for a CT scan. The results showed that his brain was completely normal. However, during the general examination, the pediatrician discovered a small hole in his heart, unstable blood pressure, and severely damaged teeth. The oral and maxillofacial surgery team confirmed that nearly all of his teeth were decayed, with the decay spreading to the nerves and roots. The teeth could not be restored with fillings, and without extraction, recurring infections were unavoidable.

Doctors recommended removing all the damaged teeth in a single procedure as the safest option; splitting it into multiple sessions was not advised. The surgery was scheduled within 2–3 months. Before the procedure, he needed to be admitted for health checks to ensure he had no fever or cough, reducing risks during anesthesia. Eventually, he underwent surgery and had 12 decayed teeth removed at once. Fortunately, the operation was successful, and he recovered well—his appetite and mental state returned to normal.

The mother admitted that the primary cause of the severe tooth decay likely stemmed from the boy’s long-standing habit of drinking milk before bed and falling asleep without brushing his teeth, a routine he kept until the age of 4. Combined with poor oral hygiene, the decay became progressively worse. She posted the story and photos of his extracted teeth to remind other parents to pay attention to their children’s dental care to avoid similar consequences.

Some people expressed sympathy and worry that losing 12 teeth might affect his development. However, Haliza reassured them that all the extracted teeth were baby teeth, so the procedure would not interfere with the eruption of his permanent teeth in the future.