A 26-year-old Indian woman has made it to the Guinness book of World records for the most number of teeth in a preson's mouth (female). The mother of one, Kalpana Balan has 38 teeth - four extra mandibular (lower jaw) and two extra maxilliary (upper jaw) teeth. This is six teeth more than an average adult.
Kalpana's journey to having 38 teeth
Kalpana developed her extra teeth in during her teenage years, according to GWR. They don’t cause her any pain, but they do pose an issue when she eats, as food often gets stuck in between them.
Kalpana revealed that her parents were shocked when they came to know about it and even advised her to get them removed. But her dentist advised her to wait for the teeth to grow fully as it was difficult to get them out in their underdeveloped stage.
Speaking to GWR, she said. “I am so happy to get the Guinness World Records title.” She further said, “It’s my lifetime achievement.” Notably, Kalpana can extend her record in the future, as she has two more teeth which haven’t come through yet.
Meanwhile, the male record for the most number of teeth is being held by Evano Mellone (Canada), who has 41 teeth.
What is hyperdontia?
The presence of excess teeth is called hyperdontia or polydontia in medical terms. Up to 3.8% of the world’s population have one or more supernumerary teeth. Hyperdontia is the result of a malfunction in the tooth formation process, although its exact cause is unknown.
It is thought that supernumerary teeth develop from an extra tooth bud arising near a regular tooth bud, or possibly from the splitting of a regular tooth bud. It also appears to be associated with several hereditary conditions, including Gardner syndrome, Fabry disease, cleidocranial dysostosis, and cleft lip.
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