My new rescue dog has missing teeth. Is he old or is it dental disease?

There are two reasons why the incisors (front teeth) of your dog could be worn down: 1) he could have the habit of picking up stones and other hard things, which wears teeth down, or he could be an older dog. The most reliable way to find out Marty's age is to take him to a vet for an estimate, as the vet can look at his condition , bones and muscles and general look to give you an idea of his age.

Hello. The teeth are quite worn down, but without a thorough oral exam, it is difficult to evaluate exactly what is going on. I can tell you that some dogs, out of anxiety, boredom, even an obsessive compulsive condition, will chew on rocks or chain link fencing & can wear down & chip away at the teeth resulting in this. Perhaps being in a forever stable home is what this poor pup needs. Thank you so much for considering adoption & contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Some male dogs will never develop leg lifting all though most do and this can be variable depending on their age. It does look like Maxx is missing those pre-molars. This is generally hereditary and most often the molars are still in the bone and it is unlikely that they will grow. Some veterinarians recommend to have x-rays done over the missing areas and may recommend to remove any unerupted teeth. Others recommend to monitor for any potential abscesses that could occur. I recommend to discuss this with your veterinarian to determine what is the best pathway for you and Maxx. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor Trey! I would recommend having the worn teeth checked by a veterinarian - he/she should be able to tell you if they need to be extracted (i.e., if the pulp cavity is exposed, etc.), or if the teeth are okay to be left alone. There isn't really anything you can do about them at home, one way or the other.

This sounds like severe dental disease with gum loss and loose teeth. The chattering of the jaw is a sign of pain and you should have him assessed by your vet as soon as possible to remove any further damaged teeth and clean the rest of them

Sometimes dogs wear their teeth down by chewing on things. Such as if he used to chew tennis balls all the time, or was in a cage and chewed and pulled on the doors. It would be very rare that they would have been filed down on purpose. I assume he probably wore them down doing something repetitively. Best of luck I’m glad he now has a great forever home! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Your dog is missing some of the upper incisor teeth. They probably fell out either due to trauma or infection; infection is most likely. There is nothing you can do for that now. But you can make sure the rest of her teeth stay healthy so she doesn't lose any more teeth. The ones I can see in the photo have a lot of tartar so I suggest you have your vet evaluate the teeth and schedule a dental cleaning. ( https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/dental-disease/ ) ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/your-pets-dental-cleaning-what-to-expect/ ) After the teeth have been cleaned you can start a regimen to prevent further tartar build-up like daily brushing of the teeth, dental pads and/or water additives. Your vet can tell you more.