Toddlers with extra teeth?

[Knomester]

I just wondered if anyone has come across a situation where their toddler has grown more than the standard 20 milk / baby teeth?

Our 2.5 year old has all 20 baby teeth, however he has shown all the signs of teething over the past 2 or 3 weeks (fingers in mouth, refusing to eat, early waking, rosy red cheeks, etc) and on closer inspection seems to have what look like teeth sat under his gums at the back on both sides of his lower jaw (white patches just below the surface of the gums).

We took him to see the dentist to check, but in and between him not wanting to open his mouth and her not really seizing the opportunity when I did lay him on my lap and got him to open his mouth she didn't get a good look. She dismissed it saying that toddlers never grow extra teeth. A very quick search on the internet has shown this not to be true, although admittedly very rare.

I just wondered if anyone has come across the same situation, or if there is another possible explanation for this, before we look into it further?

Thanks

[etta166]

My sister did have 2 extra milk teeth, but they came in behind her two front incisors and not at the back as extra molars. Unless it appears to be impacting on the existing teeth (i.e. causing cramping or crossing of the teeth) then my parents were just advised to ignore it. In the end, my sister had the extra teeth pulled out to preserve her adult teeth.

Extra (supernumary) teeth tend to run in the family, so it's pretty unlikely unless there's a family history.

[Fuschia]

My son had a super numeray tooth that sounds like Etta describes, and had it removed also.

[Knomester]

Thank you for the messages and PMs. I was too late home from work to take another proper look last night but will do. There is plenty of room for some teeth, if that's what it is, but I would just rather know whether he is teething or not so we can be mindful of it. I had milk teeth taken out, but I don't know if that was because they were extra ones or there just wasn't room for them in my mouth - I'll check!