Fact Check: X-ray shown in viral post is a health condition; not a generic toddler scan

New Delhi (Vishvas News): An image going viral on social media shows an x-ray of a skull with surplus teeth. The text alongside the image suggests this is what toddler x-ray scans look like. Vishvas News investigated and found the viral post to be misleading. While the images shown in the viral post are authentic scans, they are not representative of most toddlers. The images shown in the post are that of children suffering from a specific condition, hyperdontia.

Claim

A social media post shows an x-ray of a skull with surplus teeth alongside a text that reads: “Toddler skull X-rays are terrifying.”

The archived version of the post can be read here.

Investigation

Vishvas News performed Google Reverse Image Search of the viral photo. We found an article titled: “Multiple hyperdontia: Report of an unusual case.” The article carried the same picture and the report is published by the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics in October 2011. This article presents an unusual case of multiple hyperodontia in a girl aged 11 years 8 months with 31 supernumerary teeth.

What is Hyperdontia?

“Hyperdontia is a condition that causes too many teeth to grow in your mouth. These extra teeth are sometimes called supernumerary teeth. They can grow anywhere in the curved areas where teeth attach to your jaw. This area is known as the dental arches.”

“The 20 teeth that grow in when you’re a child are known as primary, or deciduous, teeth. The 32 adult teeth that replace them are called permanent teeth. You can have extra primary or permanent teeth with hyperdontia, but extra primary teeth are more common.”

Vishvas News spoke to Dr. Sagar J. Abichandani who is MDS, Prosthodontics, Mumbai. He said: “This is a specific case as shown in the post. It can be possible in a mixed dentition stage when milky teeth and permanent teeth can be present at the same time in the jaws. But not necessarily in all the toddlers.”

The post is shared on Facebook by a user named Heather-Michelle Keinath. When we scanned the profile of the user we found the user is based out of Michigan.

Conclusion: Vishvas News investigated and found the viral post to be misleading. While the images shown in the viral post are authentic scans, they are not representative of most toddlers. The images shown in the post are that of children suffering from a specific condition, hyperdontia.

Tags

• Fact Check
• health