My dog has a loose tooth. Should I wait for it to fall or get a second opinion?

It sounds like the tooth you are referring to is the lower left canine when I look at your picture, rather than an incisor. Because it is a canine tooth that is affected, I would recommend that you make an appointment and have your vet take a look. The canine teeth have very large, strong roots and leave large holes when they come out. I am glad that she is still eating, but it sounds like you do need to get her in. Even if she needs to have it extracted under anesthesia, this is a better option than opening her up to a potential infection, which could be very serious if it were to involve the bone of the lower jaw (mandible). There are also other changes your vet can look for that may have caused the tooth to become loose in the first place, such as a tumor of some kind in her mouth. Good luck with her, I hope this information is helpful for you!

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I do see a baby tooth there (the really pointy sharp tooth) and that is likely the tooth you are saying is really loose. Usually pets lose their baby teeth by the age of 6 months, so Vader is a bit of a late bloomer. I would recommend having your vet take a look at the tooth in person to see if it can be manipulated to come out. It may just come out on its own, but again, usually by this age the baby teeth are already gone. No need to worry too much however. If it does not come out on its own, then it can always be extracted at a later date. It is best to extract them to avoid overcrowding of the teeth and advanced dental disease. I would recommend brushing Vaders teeth often (3 times a week) to help remove foodstuffs that might get stuck there. Otherwise, plan on seeing your vet soon for further care if it doesn't happen to fall out soon. Best wishes with Vader and good luck with his stubborn baby tooth. Take care.

If she has a tooth hanging out, it's not necessarily an emergency, but I would recommend taking her to vet in the morning. If it's a baby tooth, it is usually not a problem since they will fall out eventually. If it's an adult tooth that is hanging, she will likely need to be put under anesthesia to have it extracted as these broken adult teeth are very painful and prone to infection.

Bad teeth are common in older dogs. Loose teeth can cause problems with eating and chewing, but what is also very important they can cause chronic mouth pain. You should take BoBo to your vet for clinical examination and to assess what would be the best way to help your dog. In most of the cases, cleaning and scaling teeth under general anaesthesia is recommended. Also, extraction of loose teeth is often necessary.

The canine tooth looks like it might have a little evidence of gingivitis but it can be difficult to tell from a picture. I also would not prescribe antibiotics for dental disease in most situations - if the tooth is infected removing it is the best treatment option. Even though the tooth probably will fall out there may be other diseased teeth since it can be difficult to evaluate the extent of disease without sedation - you may want to ask your vet about a dental cleaning or if your vet does not do this procedure see another vet.

Good on your for recognizing that loose tooth may affect dogs the same way as they do humans. You are absolutely correct it will affect them the same way, and I would have Mercee seen by a vet tomorrow. The tooth likely needs to be pulled, which the vet can do, and she will likely need a dental cleaning, scaling, and polishing. Like humans, dogs need dental care and cleanings, and they can and do get periodontal disease. Definitely have her seen by a vet for this issue. Great job for picking up on this!

It looks like he chewed something hard enough to loosen them or injured them otherwise. Maybe he was chewing something, got his teeth caught, panicked, and tore loose. From his expression he doesn't seem to be in any pain but I would call your vet and describe the problem and see if they recommend coming in. I feel this would probably heal okay on its own, but it's best to check with your vet and get their opinion.