Let’s see What happens when RETAINED BABY Teeth are NOT TREATED! The development of  in a puppy is a process & there are a number of stages where things may progress normally or may go wrong & result in abnormal dental development.

Puppies are born with “tooth buds” or undeveloped teeth. The development of normal adult teeth involves the formation of the adult tooth as well as the “shedding” of the baby teeth AKA deciduous teeth. In normal dental eruption, the deciduous teeth are essentially pushed out by the incoming adult teeth.

“Retained deciduous teeth,” result in double rows of Keeping in mind the timeline mentioned above, if baby teeth result in a crowded appearance, be sure you consult your veterinarian. Most commonly, the failure of shedding deciduous teeth involves the canine teeth, & less commonly the premolars & the incisors.

When baby teeth don’t fall out it is called “retention” or “failure to shed,” for some reason, the deciduous tooth is being stubborn. This can result in severe crowding of the teeth & therefore the teeth come in crooked. Retention can result in a poorly aligned dental arcade & subsequently, improper line up of the jaws.

Retained deciduous teeth can also result in a loss of normal spacing between teeth. This allows material to accumulate between teeth & leads to pain, infection, gum disease (gingivitis), or tooth disease.

Retained teeth should be removed as soon as it is evident they will not fall out on their own. As a rule, adult incisors will erupt by 3 months & canines & premolars by 6 months. If deciduous teeth have not fallen out by then, they should be removed.