A baby girl in Brazil was found to have 81 teeth in her mouth, surprising doctors as it is one of the rarest cases ever recorded in medical literature.

The case was reported by doctors at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, published in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics in early July.

The patient is an 11-year-and-8-month-old girl who initially came to the dentist because she wanted to remove the remaining baby tooth roots in her upper jaw. However, the X-ray image that followed shocked the team of doctors. The baby had a total of 81 teeth, including 18 baby teeth, 32 permanent teeth and 31 supernumerary teeth.

The condition is called multiple hyperdontia, a rare developmental abnormality in which a person has more teeth than the normal number of 32 in adults. "In most cases, people have only a few extra teeth, but having 31 supernumerary teeth is unprecedented in a person without a genetic syndrome. Doctors performed a CT scan to determine the exact location of the teeth, and to rule out the possibility of syndromes commonly associated with this condition, such as cleft palate, cleidocranial dysplasia, or Gardner syndrome. The baby was also tested for chromosomes at the Cortes Villela laboratory.

The results showed an inversion on chromosome 9, an uncommon genetic variant, but it is not yet known whether it is directly related to the abnormal number of teeth.

Notably, the patient's mother had thalassemia, but doctors did not find a clear genetic link between this condition and her daughter's supernumerary teeth.

Dentally, the girl's condition posed many challenges in treatment. The removal of all supernumerary teeth had to be carefully calculated to avoid damage to the jawbone. Some unerupted teeth were also deformed, making it difficult to distinguish between real teeth and supernumerary teeth.

According to the authors, the treatment plan should be carried out by a team of specialists in coordination, including maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, periodontics and dental prosthetics. The goal is to restore chewing function, ensure aesthetics, and maintain a healthy maxillofacial structure for the child in the future.

This case has not only attracted attention from professionals but also attracted curiosity from the public. It shows how diverse the human body can be, and is also a reminder of the importance of regular dental check-ups, especially in children, to detect and treat any abnormalities early.