Indian woman receives Guinness World Record with thirty eight teeth

A 26-year-old Indian woman named Kalpana Balan has recently achieved a Guinness World Record for having 38 teeth in her mouth, surpassing the typical adult count by six. The record includes four extra mandibular (lower jaw) teeth and two extra maxillary (upper jaw) teeth. Kalpana experienced the gradual emergence of these additional teeth during her teenage years, facing challenges with eating as food would often get trapped between the extra teeth. Despite no pain, her parents, upon discovering the additional set, recommended extraction. However, her dentist advised waiting until the teeth fully grew out, as they could not be easily removed.

Kalpana decided to keep the extra teeth, even after they had all fully grown, fearing the extraction procedure. Expressing her joy after setting the record, she stated, "I am so happy to get the Guinness World Records title; it's my lifetime achievement." Remarkably, she may extend her record in the future, as she currently has two unfilled teeth.

The male record holder for the same title is Evano Mellone from Canada, with a total of 41 teeth. The medical term for the presence of excess teeth is hyperdontia or polydontia, affecting up to 3.8% of the world's population. Hyperdontia results from a malfunction in the tooth formation process, with its exact cause remaining unknown. It is believed that supernumerary teeth develop from an extra tooth bud near a regular one or possibly from the splitting of a regular tooth bud, as reported by Guinness World Records.