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My dog has a tiny chipped tooth. Should I be concerned and see a vet?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 11 months and 23 days old | 12 lbs

My dog has a tiny tiny chipped teeth should I be concerned?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 24th, 2018

It looks like this chip just involves the enamel and not the pulp. Some veterinarians might recommend a sealant while others would just monitor. If the chip seems to extend below the gum line x-rays might be recommended. I’d recommend having your vet examine the tooth in person.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on October 12th, 2017
Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. If you do not see the pulp, it should be fine to wait until your next veterinary visit. If there is a small dark spot that you can see where the tooth is broken, I would have this addressed sooner rather than later as this indicates pulp exposure. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Elizabeth
Veterinarian
Published on January 21st, 2020
Chipped and broken teeth can lead to infection, abscesses and become painful. I recommend to have Loko examined by the veterinarian who will likely recommend to remove the broken tooth and the retained tooth root under the gum line. Make sure to ask if they have dental x-rays which will be needed to identify and retained roots. I hope this helps.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Laura Johnson VMD
Veterinarian
Published on July 1st, 2018
Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

The tooth that is affected is an incisor tooth which is relatively unimportant. The X-ray will show if the root is damaged or if the tooth is dead. Personally I would just have the tooth extracted if it is compromised instead of having it fixed by a Veterinary specialist. Fillings, root canals, caps are all done by a specialist not regular veterinarians. If he was a service/police dog and it was a canine tooth I would take him to a specialist.

I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My dog chipped a tooth with a beige dot. Should I take her to vet?

What you see as a beige dot is the opened up pulpa of the tooth, This is indeed painful and also an entry way for bacteria. In young dogs (usually puppies) this can cause them to contract tetanus. You would not notice whether she was in pain as dogs do not chew with their incisors. You should take her to your vet to have that damaged tooth either repaired or removed in order to avoid some bacterial infection as well as to take the pain.

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My dog has a cracked tooth. Should I be concerned and see a vet?

Hi there. This is a very good question. Based on the photo, this type of tooth fracture is usually referred to as a "slab fracture". Dogs often get these from chewing on hard objects like bones or rocks. Although I can't see too well on the picture, I would be concerned about the pulp cavity being exposed. This is the area that runs throughout the length of the tooth carrying blood supply and nutrients to the tooth. If exposed, there is a greater likelihood that the tooth can become infected and decay quite rapidly. It can also cause pain in the mouth. Freddie's veterinarian can check with a dental probe to see if the pulp cavity is exposed. Sometimes this can be done while the dog is awake, but sometimes it has to be done under sedation or anesthesia. If Freddie has a bit of tartar, you can just schedule a teeth cleaning and his vet can check it out then. If the pulp cavity is exposed, extracting the tooth is recommended to avoid infection and pain. Once Freddie's tooth is removed, he probably won't miss it. A soften diet and no chew toys for a couple of weeks and he'd be good to go. I hope you find this answer helpful. Best of luck!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My new dog has worn front teeth. Should I worry about dental health?

She definitely has some wear on those teeth - often that particular pattern is caused by chewing tennis balls a lot or being really itchy and chewing at the skin a lot. The only way to know if the teeth are healthy is a dental x-ray and exam under anesthesia, so I can't say for sure if it's an issue or not. With a dental x-ray, her vet can look at the tooth roots and also make sure the gingiva is healthy. This is definitely not an emergency, but I would recommend bringing it up at her next appointment.

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Is my dog's tooth chipped, or is it just tartar flaking off?

Hi, According to the pic I think it is a tartar built up. Too much plaque and tartar build-up can push the gums away from the teeth, exposing new areas for bacteria to develop which causes inflammation of the dog's gums (also seen in the picture the gum line seems inflamed). But it can also lead to cavities, infection, tissue destruction, tooth loss, and even pus (abscess) formation. So please schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to see if your dog is a candidate for a dental scale and polish.

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My young puppy has a chipped and rotten tooth. Should I be worried?

Trusty is listed as 4 months old, and in the photo that tooth does look like a baby tooth. These baby teeth often fracture like that then fall out; the root will resorb and the adult toot will grow in. As long as he is eating normally and doesn't seem painful, you don't need to be concerned at this point. It will probably fall out on its own without complication in the next few days. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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What should I do if my dog has a chipped or broken front tooth?

The gold standard of treatment would be to have it extracted (removed). In the real world though it probably won't cause him much discomfort or harm if you left it in. Just monitor the tooth regularly. If it turns purple, that means there is damage to the root/pulp and then it will definitely need to come out. If it stays white I would say it can wait until he needs an anesthetic procedure at some other point in time and then it can be removed then.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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My dog broke a tooth. What should I do? Can I monitor before a vet?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. So this is a “complicated” fracture of the canine- meaning the pulp cavity is exposed. Unfortunately, if Titus walked into my office, I’d recommend scheduling a dental and removing the tooth. Once the pulp cavity is exposed, bacteria can travel up it and cause a deep abscess in the bone. Then you have weeks of antibiotics and still have to do the procedure. This does not always happen, but there is no way to know which case it will happen to. The other option is seeing a dental specialist for a root canal and crown. That being said, it’s not very painful unless he is chewing with it (which he’ll probably avoid). And not much is going to happen in the next two days, or even in the next two months. Don’t put anything on there and just leave it alone. Schedule an appointment when it’s convenient and talk with your vet about your options. Also talk about why he is chewing his crate (often a sign of moderate to severe separation anxiety). And how to prevent future damage to other teeth. Best wishes to you and Titus!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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