Ashik Gavai underwent a seven-hour surgery to have 232 teeth-like growths removed from his mouth.

Gavai, 17, was brought into Mumbai’s JJ Hospital’s dental department due to swelling on the right of his jaw. Gavai and his father traveled to the city of Mumbai after his local doctors were unable to identify the cause of the swelling.

“I was worried that it may turn out to be cancer, so I brought him to Mumbai,” said Gavai’s father Suresh Gavai.

Surgeons Remove 232 Teeth From Teen

Gavai was suffering from a complex composite odontoma, a very rare condition that causes small, tooth-like growths to form. According to the Daily Mail, odontomas are made up of enamel, denten and pulp tissue, like teeth, but are very small. Fortunately, they do not return after removal.

“Ashik’s malaise was diagnosed as a complex composite odontoma where a single gum forms lots of teeth. It’s a sort of benign tumor," Dr. Sunanda Dhiware, head of JJ Hospital’s dental department, explained.

The surgery to remove all 232 ‘teeth’ growths took seven hours and was conducted by a staff of two surgeons and two assistants. According to reports, surgeons found that, in addition to smaller growths, the condition had led to the development of a large, “marble-like” piece that had to be broken and removed in fragments.

The large removal marks a new record according to the surgeons involved, who claim that the previous record of odontoma teeth removed from a patient was 37. Despite the extensive surgery, doctors are confident that Gavai’s jaw will continue to develop normally.

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Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.