Short Lower Jaw. Don’t Just Sit and Watch, Do Something Sandra L. Waugh VMD, MS - Windsor Pet Dental
Every year I examine puppies whose jaws are not growing properly. I would really like these puppies to come when they are 8 weeks of age. Treatment for these abnormalities must be started as soon as possible. Too often owners are given the advise to “wait and see” rather than taking immediate action. Many puppies get their first vaccinations at 8 weeks of age and if the jaws are not matched in length action should be immediately be taken. This is a dog who was not treated as a puppy. Dog jaws are very powerful and a large hole in the roof of the mouth can result from impact from a canine tooth.
This hole in the hard palate is what can result from a lower jaw canine digging into the hard palate over time. This is an adult dog.
Treatment: The lower canines were shortened and immediately capped and the lower incisors were extracted.
How the teeth come together is called Occlusion. In the front of the mouth the normal occlusion is very tightly spaced. Unmatched jaw lengths result in a Malocclusion. Let’s review how the jaw grows in a young dog. As the upper jaw grows forward the maxillary canines press on the mandibular canines and “push” the mandible along. As the mandible grows forward, the mandibular incisors press on the maxillary incisors and “push” the maxilla ahead. in this way the proper relationship between the jaws is maintained until the full growth has occurred. When the mouth is opened and closed, the teeth do not hit the opposing soft tissue and the dog is free of oral pain. Maxillary Canine
Maxillary Third Incisor
Maxillary Incisors
These are adult teeth. The deciduous teeth should also have this pattern.
Normal bite in a dog.
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