Worn teeth in dogs
Worn teeth lose enamel and dentine from their tips and chewing surfaces: they become flatter, shorter and more yellow. There are two mechanisms: attrition, where teeth wear against each other because of a bite problem, and abrasion, where external objects wear them down. Wear is usually slow and the tooth has time to protect itself, but if it has exposed the pulp, the tooth needs treatment.
Important note for owners
A smooth, hard, shiny brown spot in the centre of the worn surface is usually tertiary dentine, which the pulp lays down from the inside to protect itself. A pink or black dot, or a spot where a fine explorer goes into the tooth, is a sign of an exposed pulp. They cannot always be told apart by eye.
Most common possible causes
- —Tennis balls. The rough felt covering, together with sand and dirt, acts like sandpaper. A dog that chews balls for long periods gradually wears its teeth down.
- —Chewing cage or kennel bars. A habit of chewing metal bars wears the canines and incisors and sometimes breaks them. Stress, boredom or separation anxiety are often behind it.
- —Stones, hard toys and antlers. Constant chewing on very hard objects wears down the tooth tips and can cause a fracture.
- —Itchy skin. Dogs with allergies or other causes of itching keep chewing and licking their fur. Fur and dirt act as an abrasive and wear down the front teeth.
- —Bite problems. When the teeth do not meet correctly, they rub against each other and wear at the points of contact — sometimes on one side only or on individual teeth.
When not to postpone an exam
- ✓Teeth that are noticeably flatter or shorter than before
- ✓A worn tooth that has changed colour — grey, pink or purple
- ✓A brown, black or pink dot in the centre of the worn surface
- ✓Your dog chews carefully, drops hard treats or chews on one side only
- ✓Sharp tooth edges injuring the tongue, lips or cheeks
Urgent help needed
- ✓Rapidly increasing swelling of the face, cheek or under the eye
- ✓Complete refusal of food and water
- ✓A sudden deterioration in general condition
What you can do at home
- ✓Swap tennis balls for smooth rubber toys, large enough that they cannot be swallowed.
- ✓Press a fingernail into chews and toys: if it leaves no dent, the item is too hard for the teeth.
- ✓If your dog chews its cage or keeps chewing its fur, discuss it with a vet: stress or itching need treatment of their own, and your regular vet or a dermatologist may need to be involved.
- ✓Lift the lip, photograph the worn teeth from the side and the front, and send the photos for an online consultation on Telegram. This helps to judge urgency but does not replace an examination.
What not to do at home
- —Don't give antlers, bones, stones or ice cubes — they wear down and break teeth
- —Don't file down sharp tooth edges yourself — it is easy to expose the pulp
- —Don't write off wear as “normal for age” without an examination: a dark dot may be an open canal
- —Don't give human painkillers — many of them are toxic to dogs
- —Don't wait until your dog stops eating: dogs often hide tooth pain
What diagnostics may be needed
- ✓Consultation: degree of wear, bite, chewing habits, skin condition
- ✓Checking every worn surface with a fine dental explorer under anaesthesia
- ✓Dental X-rays: root canal width compared with the same tooth on the other side of the jaw, and changes around the root tip
- ✓Assessment of the bite if the teeth are wearing against each other
Protective dentine and an exposed pulp look alike to the eye — both appear as a dark dot. An explorer helps to tell them apart, and dental X-rays show whether the pulp is alive: a dead pulp leaves a canal wider than in the same tooth on the other side of the jaw, and there may be signs of inflammation at the root tip.
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
- ✓If the pulp is protected and the X-rays are normal: remove the cause (change the toys, stop the cage chewing, treat the itching) and monitor the teeth
- ✓Root canal treatment if the pulp is exposed or dead and the tooth can be restored
- ✓Extraction of a tooth that cannot be saved
- ✓A restoration or crown in selected cases — for example, in working and sporting dogs whose teeth take a heavy load
- ✓Orthodontic correction if the wear is caused by a bite problem
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Frequently asked questions
Usually not: a smooth, hard, shiny brown dot is tertiary dentine, which the pulp produces to protect itself from wear. But an opening into an exposed pulp can look the same. Only a vet can tell them apart — with an explorer and on dental X-rays.
Yes: the rough covering, together with sand, gradually wears away the enamel. If your dog loves balls, choose smooth rubber ones of a suitable size.
The body does not regrow worn enamel. If the pulp is protected, removing the cause and monitoring the teeth is usually enough. A restoration or crown is considered in selected cases when the tooth needs protection — after an examination and X-rays.
Dogs often hide tooth pain, and a non-vital pulp can go unnoticed for a long time. X-rays show whether the pulp is alive and whether there is inflammation at the root — which decides whether simply removing the cause of wear is enough.
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