Lower canine hitting the palate: malocclusion in a puppy or dog
Most often the problem is lower canines that point inwards: when the jaws close, their tips press into the palate or the gum just inside the upper canines. This is a traumatic bite — it hurts every day, leaves sores and pits in the palate and, over time, can even create a hole into the nasal cavity. In puppies timing matters: the earlier the bite is assessed, the more treatment options there are.
Important note for owners
Not every unusual bite needs treatment. The key question is whether the teeth injure soft tissues or other teeth and whether your pet can eat comfortably. If they do cause injury, it's best not to wait, even when the bite is typical for the breed.
Most common possible causes
- —Persistent baby (deciduous) canines. A baby (deciduous) lower canine that hasn't fallen out pushes the permanent one inwards, so it erupts straight into the palate. This is not unusual in small-breed puppies at 5–6 months.
- —A shorter lower jaw. When the lower jaw is shorter than the upper one (mandibular brachygnathism), the lower canines miss their gap and press into the palate. If the baby lower canines are already hitting the palate (at 2–4 months), they can “lock” the jaws; extracting them as early as possible releases this “lock” and gives the lower jaw a chance to catch up, but the result depends on genetics and cannot be predicted in advance.
- —Inherited predisposition. Sometimes the lower canines are naturally set narrow and tilted inwards. Such traits can run in families, so it is worth asking the breeder about the puppy's parents.
- —Upper canines tilted forwards. With “lance” canines, the upper canine points forwards and stops the lower one from settling into place. This trait is described in Shelties, among other breeds.
- —Incisor crossbite. One or more upper incisors sit behind the lower ones. This can injure the gums and speed up tooth wear.
- —Underbite in short-nosed breeds. In brachycephalic breeds this is a breed trait, but such a bite can still injure the gums, lips or other teeth. In that case I assess the animal's comfort rather than the standard.
When not to postpone an exam
- ✓A sore, pit or bleeding in the palate just inside the upper canines
- ✓Your puppy chews carefully, drops food or toys, or is reluctant to eat
- ✓Your pet rubs its face with a paw or avoids having it touched
- ✓Bad breath or blood on toys
- ✓A baby and a permanent canine standing side by side
- ✓Sneezing or nasal discharge — the sore may have opened into the nasal cavity
Urgent help needed
- ✓Active bleeding that will not stop
- ✓Complete refusal of food and water
- ✓An injury to the face or jaw, and your pet cannot open or close its mouth normally
- ✓A sudden deterioration in general condition
What you can do at home
- ✓Lift the upper lip and look at the palate just inside the upper canines: sores, pits or tooth marks are a reason to book an examination.
- ✓Photograph the bite from the front and from both sides with the lips lifted — this makes it easier to track changes.
- ✓Send the photos for an online consultation on Telegram: I'll tell you how urgent an examination is, but photos don't replace an in-person bite assessment.
- ✓Offer soft rubber toys and, if your puppy eats carefully, soaked food.
What not to do at home
- —Don't file the canines down yourself: damaging the living pulp can lead to infection and death of the tooth
- —Don't pull out baby teeth at home — the root can break and stay in the bone, and the developing permanent tooth can be damaged
- —Don't give hard bones, antlers or tough chews
- —Don't choose a ball for “exercises” on your own: the wrong size can harm the bite
- —Don't give human painkillers — many of them are toxic to dogs and cats
- —Don't wait for your puppy to “grow out of it”: the window for simpler interventions closes
What diagnostics may be needed
- ✓Consultation: assessment of the bite (occlusion), the position of the canines and traumatic contacts
- ✓Examination of the palate and gums: depth of the sores and signs of a communication with the nose
- ✓Dental X-rays under anaesthesia: roots, baby and unerupted teeth, pulp width
- ✓If needed, impressions and models of the jaws to plan an orthodontic appliance
A photo shows the position of the crowns, but not the roots of the baby teeth, unerupted teeth or how far the permanent teeth have developed. This determines which methods are possible and when to use them, so I make the plan only after an examination and dental X-rays.
Unfamiliar term in the diagnosis?If the report mentions TR, FCGS, pulpitis or a periodontal stage, the glossary explains each term briefly.GlossaryHow treatment may proceed
- ✓Extraction of baby teeth that injure the palate or get in the way of the permanent teeth or jaw growth — as early as possible, under anaesthesia, after an X-ray
- ✓In mild cases, exercises with a rubber ball or toy of the right size under my supervision
- ✓An orthodontic appliance, such as an inclined plane that gradually guides the lower canines outwards
- ✓Crown reduction with vital pulp therapy: the living pulp is protected, sealed with a filling and monitored on X-rays
- ✓Extraction of the offending canine — in some cases, when other methods are not suitable
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Traumatic Malocclusion in a Maltipoo Puppy: Orthodontic Correction of the Lower Canines
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Frequently asked questions
Sometimes the position of the teeth changes a little with growth, but if a canine is already injuring the palate, I don't recommend waiting: it hurts every day, and the window for simpler interventions, such as timely extraction of the baby canines, closes.
Under the crown there is living pulp, and in a young tooth it is especially wide. Filing without protecting it opens the way to infection. Crown reduction is a procedure under anaesthesia with vital pulp therapy, a filling and check-up X-rays.
I assess the bite at a consultation without anaesthesia. Dental X-rays, extractions, impressions and fitting an appliance are done under inhalational anaesthesia with monitoring; the anaesthetic plan is made individually after pre-anaesthetic tests.
Orthodontics in animals is about comfort and health, not about meeting a breed standard. It doesn't change genetics: a dog with a corrected inherited bite problem shouldn't be presented at a show as having a naturally correct bite, and breeding is best discussed with the breeder.
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