Typically, we obtain a full set of teeth during our teenage years, with most of us having 32 teeth — eight incisors, four canines, eight premolars, and 12 molars (including four wisdom teeth). A 7-year-old boy from India shocked doctors when they found a jaw-dropping 80 teeth in just his upper jaw. Upon seeking medical help for his upper jaw pain at Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital, doctors diagnosed Vivek, from Indore City, with a case of an odontoma tumor on the left side of his mouth.

"The patient had visited us five days ago with abscess in upper jaw. Upon medical investigations, it was diagnosed a case of odontome. We planned the surgery and removed 80 teeth after clearing abscess, which is rare in tender age," Dr. Bharat Maheshwari, lead surgeon of Vivek’s operation told The Times of India. The abscess measured to be about 2 by 1.4 inches and took nearly four hours to remove.

Doctors found the procedure to be difficult because the condition causes the jaw to become weak, increasing the likelihood of a fracture. "Teeth-forming cells in such a large number are not found in kids of this age group. Had the patient visited us four years later, at least 200-odd teeth could have developed,” Dr. Ankit Khasgiwala, who helped perform the surgery, told The Times of India.

Odontomas, or the malformations of the dental tissues, are known to be the most common among odontogenic tumors. According to the National Academy of Dentistry in India, these lesions take place because the dental components are laid down in a disorganized manner due to failure of normal morphodifferentiation. Surgery is necessary to prevent the further growth of the teeth deep in the jaw area.

In July, a similar case occurred 17-year-old Ashik Gavai of India had “a world record” of 232 teeth extracted from his lower jaw. Gavai underwent a seven-hour surgery to remove all of the “small white pearl” after suffering for 18 months from complex composite odontoma. Dr. Sunanda Dhiware, head of Mumabi's JJ Hospital's dental department, where the teen was formally diagnosed, told the Mumbai Mirror she had "not seen anything like this before in [her] 30-year career,” but she was “thrilled to get such an exciting case.”

Erupting odontoma is rare, according to a 2011 article in the Journal of Dental Research, Dental Clinics, Dental Prospects, with the first case ever reported in 1980. Doctors recommend removing “toothlets,” as they can cause pain and infection and lead to further complications if they are left untreated. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice to ensure there is no recurrence.