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FACT BRIEF

Is there proof a photo of an adult purportedly suffering from hyperdontia is real?

By Kaiyah Clarke
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NO

Since at least 2011, a photo has circulated of a surplus of teeth of different shapes and sizes inside a person's mouth. 

An associate dean at the New York University College of Dentistry chalked it up to "image manipulation." He reasoned, "We would expect if this was actually observed by any dental professional, an X-ray would also be available, adding, "For me to believe this, it would have to be appropriately referenced in a peer-reviewed publication."

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Extra Teeth (Supernumerary Teeth, Hyperdontia)
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.