Retained Baby Teeth

This is the special outlet where my new dental X-ray machine will soon be installed.  I had to get a dedicated circuit put in (I can hardly wait for the electrician's bill).

There are lots of good reasons to take dental X-rays when you're working on a pet's teeth, but I'm only going to talk about one of them today.

Like people, dogs and cats start out with a set of deciduous, or baby, teeth.  These are quite small.  As the animal grows, these teeth don't.  By the time the pet is about three months old, the teeth look too small for the animal, and there is noticeable space between them.  That's because the jaws are growing and the teeth aren't.   At roughly sixteen weeks, permanent teeth begin to emerge.  The first ones will be the upper incisors -- the two teeth right in the middle of the front on the upper jaw (numbers 101 and 201 for your dentists out there).  By five to six months, most pets have all of their permanent teeth, with the canine teeth (fangs) coming in last.  As the permanent teeth come in, the roots of the baby teeth dissolve, and they just fall out to make room for the new tooth... most of the time, that is.

It's very common to see some baby teeth retained.  The permanent tooth has come in beside them, and now we have two teeth in the space meant for one.  This is most common with the canine teeth, the fangs, and it's not good.  The bottom fang should come up and rest in a groove just in front of the upper fang.  If the upper "baby fang" is still present, it pushes the permanent tooth forward, making that groove too small.  If the lower "baby fang" doesn't go away, the permanent tooth comes up into the roof of the mouth, instead of that groove.  So, if you see permanent teeth coming in while the baby teeth are still there, it's important to have those baby teeth extracted.  We want the permanent teeth to come in to the right spot. It's not just a matter of a pretty smile: think how it would feel to have one of your teeth always poking you in the roof of the mouth -- OUCH.

When the baby tooth's root has not dissolved, it can be quite long. In the case of the canine tooth (fang), the root is about twice as long as the tooth you can see.  This requires general anesthesia to extract, as you've got to do a bit of digging to get it out in one piece.

These teeth are the  reason that I started the post by talking about a dental X-ray unit.  This six-months old Yorkie puppy looked like it had a mouth full of permanent teeth, and we just needed to get those two baby fangs that were hanging on.  Danged if she didn't have TEN baby teeth hanging around.  Some were pretty loose, having no roots, and others were still pretty firm.  They all needed to come out and make room for the permanent teeth.  Were there more than ten baby teeth hanging on?  I don't think so; I do think I got them all, but I don't know for sure.  I need that dental X-ray.

Comments

[Mike]

I have a 6 month old Chihuahua puppy and I just noticed over the weekend that his permanent teeth are coming in sort of behind his "baby teeth". I'm taking him to the vet this week to have it looked at, but I have a feeling he's going to need at least a few teeth pulled. Is this common in small breed dogs? I've never heard of it before this.

[Doc]

Mike,

This is pretty common. We used to wait until the dog was having some other procedure to take these out. Unfortunately, by that time, the permanent teeth are probably in the wrong place. If those permanent teeth are half-way in and the baby teeth are still feeling solid, those baby teeth should be extracted right away.

Thanks for reading.

[Jillian]

I know that with dogs, retained deciduous teeth are a concern around 6-8 months of age. Is the same true with kittens? I've been checking my kitten's teeth every week or so, but it's been about 10 days since I last looked, and today I noticed his upper adult canines are in about halfway, and the babies haven't fallen out. He was neutered about 3 weeks ago, so it's too late have them pulled when that gets done, and I'd hate to have to put him under again this soon just for those two teeth.

[Doc]

Jillian,
The situation would be similar, but I do not recall ever having seen a cat with retained deciduous teeth. Lowers would be more of a concern than uppers. As the permanent teeth continue to emerge, check for mobility of the baby teeth. If you can wiggle them, I think you'll not have a problem.

Thanks for reading and writing.

[Cherie]

Hi Doc
I have two 6 month old kittens. I have not noticed my female losing any of her teeth but I was checking my males mouth and noticed that both canines adult teeth are growing in but the baby ones haven't fallen out. The adult ones are barely coming in(I can see them) so will he lose the baby one still? Or should I take him to the vet?

[Doc]

Hello, Cherie,

If you can just barely see the tips of the permanent fangs showing, it's too soon to get worried. If the baby teeth are still present when the permanent fangs get more than halfway in, then you would wish to have those baby teeth extracted.

Not sure what "halfway" is? You may have to go to your veterinarian in that case, just to check.

The problem is much less common in cats than in dogs, so you probably won't have to worry about it.

Thanks for reading and writing.

[mike]

My toy poodle pup is going on 7 months old, his adult teeth are pretty much out, but his baby teeth are still solid. what should i do?

[Doc]

Hello, Mike,

This is not an emergency, but you should make an appointment with your veterinarian to get the retained baby teeth extracted. The sooner this is done, the fewer problems you will have.

Thanks for reading and writing.

[Heather]

I have a 20 week old boston terrier who is quite small for his age (only about 6 lbs). His ears began curling backward at about 14 weeks of age, and therefore I thought that he had begun teething. (They later restraightened out at about 17 weeks). However, when I took him to my vet about a week ago, she noticed that his BABY teeth (especially the incisors) had completely erupted yet! She also noticed that his adult molars were starting to come in. She was concerned about the fact that his baby teeth hadn't even fully erupted yet at this age. How likely is it that I may have a puppy who does not have adult teeth under his deciduous teeth? What other dental problems can I expect due to his delayed development?

[Doc]

Hello, Heather,

I'm no dental expert. Dental X-rays would be needed to see what's going on there. With that information, your regular veterinarian would then be able to consult a veterinary dental specialist.

Your dog may just be a "late bloomer" or there may be significant developmental abnormalities. Sometimes deciduous (baby) teeth need to be extracted early.

Without dental X-rays, you just won't know.

Good luck.

[Kathryn]

My partner and I have a very outgoing 5 month old male kitten. I found one of his baby teeth on the floor the other day and decided to check out the rest of his teeth.

When I looked, I noticed he had double canine teeth on the top row of his teeth, on both sides. I was wondering if this will cause him any problems, as both teeth seem to be about the same size. I was also wondering what we should do about this and whether we should act now, or wait a month or two to see if the problem resolves itself?

[Doc]

Hello, Kathryn,

The top teeth cause less problems than the bottom canine teeth. If the bottom canine teeth are double, it usually makes the permanent fangs come up into the roof of the mouth.

With double top fangs, the permanent fang can come in too far forward, leaving less room for the bottom fang. Even if the teeth are meshing together okay, those two teeth being in the space meant for one will accumulate a lot of debris and tartar, causing gum disease that need not take place.

If the bottom canine teeth are coming in okay without interference, then there is no urgency in dealing with the top teeth. If there is interference, then the retained baby teeth should be extracted as soon as possible to allow the other teeth to find their normal spots.

If no interference, then I'd watch for a few weeks. Those baby upper canine teeth may go ahead and loosen. If you have double teeth a month from now and the baby tooth isn't loose at all, it should be extracted by your veterinarian.

Thanks for reading and writing.

[Kari]

Hi Doc!

Quick question...
I had one of my chihuahuas upper canines (baby tooth) removed when she was spayed yesterday. No adult tooth had started to come in, but she has all her others. Is there a chance she might not have an adult tooth come in? And how long will it take to not bother her? Or heal completely? She is 11 months and Im feeding her canned dog food until it seems to feel better. Im giving her baby tylenol for her tummy as well... Thanks so much!!

-Kari

[Doc]

Hello, Kari,

Most permanent teeth erupt by the time the dog is six months old. It is possible that there just is no permanent tooth there, but it may be up under the gums and misdirected. A dental X-ray is the only way to tell.

After removal of a baby tooth, most dogs will be free of pain in just a few days. By the time you finish treating her post-op pain for the hysterectomy, her tooth will probably be fine, as well.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help. Talk to your veterinarian about this.

[Pharmacy Drugstore]

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[Mom]

My vet removed my 6 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel's upper canines when he neutered him last week. They cauterized the gums after extraction. This was on Friday. On Sunday, I noticed that the gum on the left side was eroded and very angry looking. I took him back to the vet the next day and he debrided the area and removed a small bone chip (my regular vet did not do the surgery, an associate did). He said to keep an eye on it and that it should heal pretty rapidly. The gum does seem to be healing but you can see the entire tooth up to where the lip meets the gum line. The gum is entirely gone above 3/4 of he tooth. Will this grow back?

[Doc]

Hello, "Mom",

I have difficulty advising you, in that I cannot see the patient. I am afraid that I may not be accurate in mentally visualizing what you describe.

If indeed the root of the permanent canine tooth were exposed, you would actually have had to remove bone as well as gum tissue. It seems very unlikely that bone would have been destroyed during the extraction of the baby tooth.

I would recommend that you have your veterinarian recheck the area in a few days. It is possible that things are not as bad as you fear. Quite frankly, most pet-owners are not used to looking at surgical sites, and often mis-estimate (both better or worse) the severity of the problem.

If the situation actually IS as bad as you make it sound, it is very possible that some grafting surgery would need to be performed.

You really need to let your veterinarian re-examine the dog in a few days.

Good luck.

[los angeles porcelain veneers]

I agree with this there are lots of good reasons to take dental X-rays when you're working on a pet's teeth, but I'm only going to talk about one of them today,Keep posting!

florence

[monica]

My yorkie is about 3 yrs old and has a baby tooth ontop of his left botton fang...its loose! Will it fall out by itself? Also its very discolored which really worries me but he doesn't seem to be in any pain!? Should I just let it fall out?

[Doc]

Hello, Monica,

The discoloration could be some tartar accumulation, but since the tooth is loose, it has no root attachment and is dead. This would also cause discoloration.

The tooth itself is not painful (like a toothache), but since it is loose, when it gets moved around, that probably hurts the gums a little bit.

If it is obviously loose and moving around, it will probably come out eventually on its own. However, if it has been there for three years, there may be some damage to the gums around the permanent tooth.

I would advise you to let your veterinarian check out the dog's mouth.

Thanks for reading and writing.

[Jamie]

Hello! I was wondering if you could give me some advice. My doxie is over a year old now. She has two canines growing in the same spot- (One baby and one adult) The vet-tech told me not worry about it when I had her spayed, but now she is digging at it and I think it's causing her a lot of pain!? Should I get her in as soon as possible or is this not a serious matter? Thanks!

[Doc]

Hello, Jamie,

I think that the original advice you received is pretty standard, and what most folks would have said ( including me).

However, since the the dog seems bothered by it, that changes the situation. The dog's discomfort is the game-changer here.

I do recommend that you make an appointment to get her mouth checked and get the problem handled.

Good luck.

[Patty]

Our 6 month old cat was neutered today. When I picked him up the vet showed me where his LOWER canines are growing into his upper jaws. He referred me to a specialist in a neighboring state. I am very anxious. Will the problem be correctable and will I be able to afford the procedures. The first office visit will be $135. Has anyone ever heard of this? I would some insight.

[Doc]

Hello, Patty,

I have not seen this in cats. It is not uncommon in dogs. Many dogs (especially toy breeds) fail to shed the deciduous ("baby") canine teeth. They occupy the space needed by the permanent teeth, forcing the permanent teeth to come in at a wrong angle. This can cause the lower canines to come up into the roof of the mouth, rather than out into the groove between the upper canine teeth and out incisor teeth, where they belong.

With the help of a dental specialist's advice, I have successfully (on ONE dog) created an acrylic plate across the roof of the mouth. A wedge shape was part of the plate. As the dog closed his mouth, the wedge would force his canine teeth toward the place they needed to be. This is much less complicated than "braces", but is still a pretty big deal.

As the teeth began to move, I would have to reshape the plate to keep them moving to where they needed to go. This would involve light anesthesia while I added acrylic, or removed it with a dremel tool.

If you don't get this fixed those teeth poke him in the roof of the mouth, which is constantly painful. The teeth could be extracted, I suppose, but I would follow the advice of the dental specialist.

Good luck.

[Patty]

Thank you for your quick response and for sharing you expertise. Yogi's lower canines are actually poking into his upper gums. I asked about extracting the lower canines and my vet is concerned about it being a complex procedure which could possibly result in breaking the lower jaw. He also mentioned doing a pulp....? I will post again as soon as I learn more. Again, thank you for your post.

[Patty]

We went to a veterinary dental specialist today to have Yogi evaluated. Yogi will have surgery next Wednesday. The least invasive solution will be to cut away part of the upper gum. As the gum heals, it will accommodate his misplaced lower canines. The other two procedures both require two surgeries. One adds a temporary "cap" that extends the canine teeth and will help them clear the gum area. The last alternative will be to break off the teeth and fill them. Number three does not sound like a good alternative to me (too much chance for infection, lost fillings, etc.)

Anyhow, your site is a huge blessing. Most of my friends think I am crazy to spend this much money on "a cat" but not only does he bring joy to our lives, he is our responsibility and deserves to live a quality life free of mouth pain.

[Patty]

Yogi's surgery was successfully completed yesterday. The doctor was able to cut out enough upper gum tissue on both sides of his mouth to make room for the misplaced lower canines. The doctor told me that everything fits. (Yogi hasn't let me peek inside his mouth long enough to see how his teeth fit, but I will try this afternoon during his nap time.)
:-)

Again, I want to thank you for creating this site. I have been quite stressed over this whole dental issue and your input helped significantly as we waited.

[Doc]

Hello, Patty,

Thanks for the update. I'm glad to hear that Yogi is doing well, and also glad that you feel I was helpful to you.

Best wishes.

[Mary]

My 7 month old german shepherd puppy has all her adult teeth in. However, she has two incisors on the bottom middle that seem smaller then the rest.
Will these grow in proportion or could there be a problem.

Thanks
Mary

[Doc]

Hello, Mary,
Once the teeth are erupted, they don't really grow in size. They just finish growing/erupting all the way into the mouth, above the gum-line. They aren't going to get any bigger in diameter.

I am concerned that these may be deciduous incisors that failed to shed. I would recommend that you let your veterinarian take a quick look at the dog's mouth. Dental radiographs may be necessary to determine if these are preventing the permanent teeth from erupting.

Good luck.

[Seattle Dentist]

I agree. Dental X ray is proven to works on pets teeth.

[Linelle Lane]

My 5-mo. old kitten has shark mouth: upper baby fangs + adult fangs side by side. When I read this, I freaked out and called the vet. They told me not to worry and if the baby teeth hadn't come out by 7-8 months, they should be extracted.

[Doc]

Hello, Linelle,

No need to freak out. The biggest problem is if the lower fangs appear to be heading toward the roof of the mouth instead of the groove between the teeth where they belong.

At five months, they may still come out on their own.

Do watch to see where those bottom canine teeth are headed.

Thanks for reading and writing.

[Toni]

Hi,

My 2year old yorkie x pomeranian still has 2 of her baby fangs (she did have a third until a few weeks ago but my partner knocked it and loosened it by accident) her breath smells terrible and between the adult teeth and the baby teeth she gets a sort of rank smelling grey almost fabric type goop, I do brush her teeth but it still gathers and her breath seems to smell worse than ever! Do you think this is due to these remaining baby teeth and should I have my vet take a look at them
Thanx

[Doc]

Hello, Toni,

When those baby teeth are not shed, you have two teeth occupying the space of one. They are very close together and catch a lot of crud.

This will eventually produce significant gum disease, in addition to the odor.

Those baby teeth should be extracted by your veterinarian, and the other teeth checked for plaque and tartar under the gum-line.

The longer you wait, the more chance that there will be damage to the permanent teeth in their attachment to the gums.

Thanks for reading and writing.

[Toni]

Hi Doc,

Thanx for such a quick reply, I will call my vet tomorrow and arrange to have Flossy looked at (I'm in the UK so it 's too late to call him now) I will keep you updated!

[Rose]

My Malichon has two sets of lower canine teeth both baby teeth have retained on the bottom, He is 6 months old and Im not sure if they will come out on there own or not. What should I do? Should I wait to see if the will fall out or should I take him to his Vet?

[Doc]

Hello, Rose,

If these teeth do not feel loose, then I would recommend removal. Leaving them in place can cause the permanent teeth to erupt in such a way that they wind up bumping other teeth or the roof of the mouth. This is constantly painful.

See your veterinarian.

Thanks for reading and writing.

[Beyerbabe2992]

Hi! I have an almost 7 month old kitten. I am almost positive her baby teeth have never fallen out, but it doesn't look like her teeth are needing to fall out. Is there any way to really tell if they are their baby teeth? (And she was not happy when I was checking her mouth a minute ago. I have a wonderful bite on my finger now.)

Also, I have an almost 6 month old chihuahua puppy, and we have started calling him shark dog because he has so many double teeth. Do you have any advice about this? It would be much appreciated.

Thank you so much!
Tia

[Doc]

Hello, Tia,

If you don't see any doubling of teeth in the kitten, then you don't need to worry about it.

In the shark dog, having those baby teeth on top of the permanent teeth causes a lot of crud to get caught. If you don't have the teeth bumping into one another (and being painful), you will get premature gum disease because of all the debris that gets caught.

Those baby teeth should be extracted. If you're planning on having him neutered, that could probably be done under the same anesthetic, depending on how many they are.

Talk to your veterinarian about this. It's not harmless.

[Nancy Owens]

Hi Doc, I love this web site!
I sold a pup with narrow canine jaw, my vet didn't catch it on the exam, and owners vet said to pull the baby teeth. Is this the best thing to do? And can I call around and get prices for the job to save some money or do I need a specialist?

[Doc]

Hello, Nancy,
I'm not such an expert that I can make that call without seeing the pet.

Generally speaking, if the permanent tooth is erupting, the baby tooth needs to come out. You should not have two teeth in one spot.

Extraction of the baby teeth should not require a dental specialist.

If the pet is so young (less than four months) that no permanent teeth should be erupting yet, then I would seek some more information as to the necessity of extracting teeth at this point.

I really cannot give you more specific advice in my ignorance of the data, and without seeing the dog.

I hope this is helpful to you.

[Gilbert]

Hi doc, i just took my 7week old stander poodle to the vet for his first set of vaccine and the veterinary noticed his bottom fangs were growing into his roof of his mouth.the doc said this is really serious, all i was thinking was $$$$ how much is going to cost me now. Can u you tell me is this a serious problem im facing and is it going to be expansive? Thank u