Introduction
Dental disorders in dogs are normally caused by genetics, diet, and age. The symptoms of these disorders depend on what type of disorder is present. Some dental disorders only result in a crooked or unique smile, and other dental disorders result in pain and possible infections. While your dog cannot tell you if he or she is in pain, dental disorder symptoms often occur if the condition in your dog is serious.
Symptoms of Dental Disorders
If a dog has inherited a dental disorder such as an overbite or underbite, these disorders will become more noticeable as the dog ages. These types of dental disorders normally do not cause problems, but if they do they are usually related to the misplaced teeth injuring other teeth, the lips, or the gums. If an inherited dental disorder is affecting your dog you may notice redness, swelling, or lesions on the gums, sores on the lips, and your dog may have difficulty chewing food.
Other types of dental disorders affect a dog’s teeth due to diet or age; these disorders occur when a dog’s teeth become unhealthy, or when a dog’s teeth do not grow correctly. Symptoms of these possible dental disorders include: bad breath, pain around the mouth, swelling or irritation of the gums, bleeding in the mouth, swelling around the jaw or nose, fever, lethargy, pain when eating, and refusal to eat.
If your dog displays any of these symptoms, it is important to make an appointment with a veterinarian as soon as possible. While many dental disorders are not life threatening, untreated dental disorders can be very painful; some dental disorders can also cause dangerous infections that require prompt treatment.