Introduction
It is not uncommon for us to encounter dogs with retained baby teeth. If they are still present at 6 months of age when your pet is spayed or neutered, we will remove them. We do this so they do not interfere with the adult teeth growing in.
Since 6 months is a common time to neuter a dog or spay a dog , this is the ideal time to remove this tooth since your pet is already being anesthetized.
What is a Retained Deciduous Tooth?
This is a baby tooth that does not fall out and allow and adult tooth to replace it.
Causes of Retained Deciduous Teeth?
This is a common problem, and has to do with genetics and the number of teeth certain breeds have.
Symptoms and Detection
There are usually no symptoms. The problem is detected commonly during an exam when a dog is presented for a Rabies vaccine at 4-6 months of age.
This dog is 8 months old and has a retained deciduous (D) tooth behind its erupting adult lower right canine (C) tooth. It is interfering with the eruption process of the normal canine tooth and will be removed
Treatment and Management
The instrument used to remove this tooth is called an elevator. The tooth is gently removed by rotating the elevator around the base of the tooth where it meets the gum line. This is to ensure complete removal of the tooth, including its root. Each tooth takes 5-10 minutes of gentle elevating to remove.
When the tooth is removed a small hole remains in the gum. The hole is usually so small that it heals rapidly and rarely requires suturing the gum. The healing time is the same whether the gum is sutured or not.
Here is the culprit after removal, notice how deep the root goes. The left 2/3 of this tooth (to the left of the arrow) is the root.
Long-term Effects on Dental Health if Left Untreated
These baby teeth can interfere with the normal eruption of the adult teeth. This can lead to dental problems.