Retained Baby Teeth in Dogs

Retained baby teeth is a condition specific to where the eruption of a permanent tooth occurs, which would normally occur when the canine is three to seven months of age, but the baby teeth stay in place. The oral issues that arise can be severe, and include abnormal positioning of permanent teeth, accidental bites that may disrupt and injure the dogs palate, an abnormal jaw position, or in severe cases, an inability to eat without pain. Early recognition is dependent on you, the owner, and is key to avoiding severe damage. Be sure to seek out the help of a veterinarian in order to avoid permanent damage.

Outside of obvious visual proof that the jaw sits abnormally or both teeth clamped together, other symptoms to look for with retained puppy teeth in dogs include:

• Food collections in the gap of the teeth
• Gingivitis
• Overbite
• Periodontitis
• Premature loss of adult teeth
• Pus cavity forming under teeth
• Strenuous time eating food
• Tartar deposits
• Tooth decay

Types

There are four types of teeth that should be in a pet's mouth in the upper and lower jaw area:

• Canine teeth - holding and tearing food
• Incisors - cutting and nibbling food
• Molars - grinding food
• Premolars - cutting, holding, and shearing food

Puppies start out with 28 deciduous (temporary or "baby" teeth). As they grow into adult dogs, there should be 42 permanent teeth. The puppy teeth, or milk teeth as they are commonly referred to will start to fall out between 14 and 30 weeks of age. It's not uncommon for a dog to swallow the "tooth buds" from baby teeth while eating, but sometimes pet owners may find the crowns of these teeth around the dog's play or sleep area.

Malocclusion is a genetic abnormality that leads to some teeth not fitting together comfortably to chew or when a dog's mouth is closed. While 85 percent of dogs have some kind of oral disease at the age of four or older, baby teeth abnormalities are more likely linked to smaller dogs and usually at earlier ages.

When a pet owner notices that a dog appears to have deciduous teeth next to adult teeth, it should be made a priority to contact a veterinarian. Pet owners should keep track of the progress on a dog's teeth during the first seven to eight months, in addition to daily dog teeth brushing to keep the mouth clean. A veterinarian may delay a potential extraction process until spaying or neutering the animal due to general anesthesia that will be needed to examine or extract the teeth.

Veterinarians may complete X-rays of the dog's mouth to determine whether stubborn teeth are not coming out in a timely manner and whether adult teeth are growing in. Looking for signs of pain may prove to be more difficult since dogs will more often than not either mask the pain or just grow used to it. This is why veterinarians do a complete examination of the mouth.

If/when deciduous teeth show no signs of falling out naturally, a veterinarian will more than likely recommend having the baby teeth extracted. Fractured, or retained teeth, may also need to be removed. 

While some dogs will genetically have an overbite, the tooth extraction process is also used to fix that if possible. Long upper jaws are necessary during the nursing years, but as a dog grows older, the lower jaw should have a growth spurt in which adult teeth grow in, too. If lower teeth get caught behind the upper teeth, the lower jaw cannot close properly. A veterinarian may recommend getting rid of a few lower baby teeth to correct the issue so the jaw can expand naturally. This will also get baby teeth out of the way so adult teeth can grow in.

Depending on the dog's teeth, a special plate (i.e., braces) or tooth shortening may also be useful to help along in the process for adult teeth to grow into the dog's mouth correctly.

Extraction, along with any procedures to fix gums, should heal within six to eight weeks. If all teeth did not grow in naturally within approximately three months, then they should be able to grow in within a few weeks after the extraction process.

If a dog has trouble eating during the healing process, a feeding tube may be necessary. Frequent dental preventive care is recommended until all teeth grow in correctly.

Tooth decay and cavities are rare in most dogs, but cleaning a dog's teeth each day is recommended either way. 

The treatment corresponding to retained baby teeth is dependent on if tooth extraction is required. Tooth extraction costs on average $250 and can go upwards of $1000 depending on how complicated the surgery is, how difficult the extraction is, and if additional teeth need to be extracted. If your dog is also getting his teeth cleaned, which is suggested by most veterinarians when a dentistry event is taking place, the average cost will be $312 - $360.