Chaser, the miniature longhaired Dachshund, had a mouth full of teeth that were causing him a bit of bother! When a puppy grows and matures, they go through a stage where their adult teeth will erupt causing their baby teeth to become loose and fall out (similar to us humans!). However, sometimes the adult teeth do not fully match up with the baby teeth and instead of pushing the baby teeth out, the baby teeth can stay in place and remain causing overcrowding, malalignment and subsequent periodontal disease. Unfortunately for Chaser his lower baby canine teeth were impinging on his upper gum causing trauma and pain. When dental X-rays were performed, it was confirmed that his adult lower canines were emerging medially and not where they should be due to his baby teeth causing overcrowding. Dr Matt advised Chaser's owner that the best course of action would be to remove the baby canines under general anaesthesia in order to make space for the adult teeth to emerge in the correct spot and not cause further issues in the future. Chaser had his baby canines removed and a few months later his adult teeth have emerged in the correct location and he now has a perfect 'bite'! This has reduced the likelihood of Chaser having periodontal disease later in life.
- Northern Illawarra Veterinary Hospital