A baby in Plymouth has had a tooth removed by a dentist just 12 days after being born.
Isla-Rose Gwendoline Heasman who was born on the 6 July had to go almost straight from the maternity ward to the dentist’s chair at the Seven Trees Dental Access Centre in Devon, as her only tooth was wobbly in her mouth.
The tooth, which was fully-formed in her lower jaw, could not be removed under anaesthetic (because of her age.) Instead, the medical team used a numbing cream on her gums before the procedure.
Mum, Jasmin Heasman, who is a community support worker, told the BBC she “never expected” to have to take her baby to the dentist at such a young age.
“She was braver than me, she didn’t really cry,” she said.
Although the mother-of-one said she had to leave the room, adding: “I couldn’t stand seeing my princess in pain.”
Devon Live reports that Isla-Rose was the “youngest patient” the dental facility had ever seen, but was still rewarded with a sticker.
According to the British Dental Association (BDA), about one in 2,000 babies are born with natal teeth - which are teeth present above the gum line at birth. But these early teeth are often loose because the roots do not properly develop.
Having teeth from birth can also cause problems for mothers breastfeeding.
Most babies start teething at about six months with some starting as young as four months old and others after a year.