Puppies and kittens much like ourselves develop two sets of teeth. The first teeth that develop are the deciduous (baby) teeth, these are followed by a second set of permanent (adult) teeth. The deciduous teeth in cats and dogs are only present for a very short period of time. They erupt in the first few weeks of life and are replaced by their permanent successors by 4-6 months of age. Despite being present for only a short period of time, they still have the potential to cause some serious problems.
The deciduous teeth may fracture, be persistent (not be shed when the permanent teeth erupt) or cause trauma due to malpositioning of the teeth or jaws (malocclusion). The deciduous canine teeth are the most common cause for concern due to their comparatively large size. Fractured, persistent or traumatically positioned deciduous teeth will often be extracted.
Deciduous canine teeth may be fractured by rambunctious young pups who chew on inappropriate objects or from trauma when they run into things whilst fine tuning their motor skills. If left untreated, these teeth quickly abscess causing pain and potential developmental concerns such as enamel hypoplasia of the permanent tooth that is developing within the jaw beneath it.
The deciduous mandibular canine teeth can also be a source of pain for patients with an underlying malocclusion. We see this in puppies and occasionally kittens when the mandibular canine teeth contact and traumatise the soft tissues on the roof of the mouth. This may be due to the tooth being in the incorrect position (class 1 malocclusion) or due to a skeletal malocclusion, most frequently where the top jaw is longer relative to the length of the bottom jaw (class 2 malocclusion). In puppies and kittens with a traumatic occlusion, it may be necessary to extract the deciduous mandibular canines early (6-12 weeks of age) to improve comfort during their developmental period. Extraction of these teeth does not necessarily allow the permanent canine teeth to erupt in a normal position, it can however relieve dental interlock and as such if the mandible is genetically programmed to increase in length/width as compared to the maxilla this will be facilitated.
Extraction of deciduous mandibular canine teeth must be performed carefully, using as gentle a technique as possible to reduce the risk of trauma to the developing permanent tooth buds. This may be accomplished using either a closed or surgical extraction technique. A decision as to how the tooth is extracted will depend on the expected difficulty of the extraction, the reason for extraction and stage of development/eruption of the permanent teeth.
On occasion, extraction of deciduous teeth can result in trauma to the developing permanent teeth. If this occurs, it generally results in minor enamel staining or localised enamel defects, very rarely it can result in more significant issues with tooth development and problems with eruption of permanent teeth in the region of the extracted deciduous teeth.
In the vast majority of patients extraction of deciduous canine teeth is uncomplicated and recovery is rapid. Most owners report their puppy or kitten is back to normal the next day. The benefits of this procedure when performed well in our opinion certainly outweigh the small risks involved.
It is crucial to prioritize the well-being of our pets’ mouths, ensuring they remain comfortable and pain-free, especially during the phases when they are reaching significant developmental and behavioural milestones.