Deciduous teeth

Overview:

Deciduous teeth refer to baby teeth. Permanent teeth begin to erupt at 4 months of age and continue to erupt until approximately 6-7 months of age. A tooth is considered a retained deciduous tooth if the permanent tooth has erupted and the baby tooth is still present.

Causes:

The exact cause is unknown, but appears to be related to the permanent tooth not erupting in the same place as the baby tooth. It is much more common in dogs, and smaller breeds are more predisposed.

Symptoms:

Baby teeth are smaller than permanent teeth. They will crowd the permanents, and possibly cause the pet to have crooked teeth or a malocclusion (the mouth will not close correctly). Tartar will build up on both the deciduous and permanent teeth very quickly and cause gingivitis and bad breath.

Treatment:

Extraction of the baby teeth are warranted and highly recommended. This can be done when the pet is being spayed or neutered. If the pet is not being altered, it is still recommended to remove the baby teeth at 6-7 months of age. Some veterinarians will wait to alter smaller breed dogs until 7-8 months of age to assure all the permanent teeth have erupted. It can then be assessed if any deciduous teeth are retained.