Deciduous Teeth (Puppy Teeth, Baby Teeth) Malocclusion

Like people and most other mammals, puppies develop 2 sets of teeth - baby teeth and adult teeth. The puppy teeth are usually shed by about 6 months of age.

Malocclusion occurs when the teeth don't meet in the correct orientation. Malocclusion in puppies is very common. Up to one in four puppies will have an abnormal bite.

When I examine a puppy with a malocclusion, I consider whether it is purely cosmetic or whether there is trauma occurring from teeth in an abnormal position. For malocclusions that are purely cosmetic I generally don't intervene, though it may be necessary to intervene when the adult teeth come in.

If there is trauma, it is necessary to do something to alleviate that trauma.

The most common malocclusion with deciduous or baby teeth is a condition where the bottom baby canine hits the roof of the mouth instead of coming up in a normal position. In this case, we typically extract the offending baby teeth. The procedure is quick, and most puppies gobble a snack within an hour of waking up from anesthesia. For malocclusions of permanent teeth, it is slightly more decision making and we rarely extract adult canine teeth for malocclusion.