My 4 month old Yorkie has an under bit. What teeth problems should I expect in later years?

You should get braces for your dog to correct the bite. =). click the link to find out more.

My 4 month old Yorkie has an under bit. What teeth problems should I expect in later years?
She will be at higher risk for dental disease as her teeth do not meet up as they should. You will want to do regular dental home care with her and examine her mouth regularly. If all of her deciduous (or baby) teeth do not come out she may need to have some pulled at 6-7 months when she gets spayed.





As she develops your vet will keep an eye on the shorter jaw to see if the adult teeth dig into the soft tissue of her mouth - of so she may need more dental work as she ages.





You will want to try to brush her teeth gently with gauze or a finger brush and PET toothpaste as often as possible to help prevent dental disease. She may also need professional dental cleanings by your vet to keep her teeth healthy. dental disease is common in small breeds like Yorkies.
Reply:Yorkies can be VERY inclined for mouth %26amp; gum issues. They are one breed you should definate keep up with their teeth...periodontal desease can ause all kinds of health issues, including heart problems.
Reply:Underbites %26amp; overbites do generally put dogs at a higher risk of dental disease as the first post says. Ask your vet next time you are in about brushing your dogs teeth or a special dental diet that helps to clean the teeth while they eat.
Reply:Well, I have read the prior 3 responses before writing this...and I must say I am surprised! I don't know what the background of those who responded is, I only know my own. I am certainly not a vet or anything close. However, I am a multiple dog owner, of a breed that is common to underbites. In fact, I think all of them have underbites! LOL!!





All 3 of mine do anyway :-)





I have done absolutely nothing different with them, was never warned of any problems I would have to watch for, none of my dogs have ever had a dental...one is 10, one is almost 8 and one is almost 6. The two younger ones were Puppy Mill Rescues, though the youngest was saved at 6 months old. The 8 year old was 3 though, and her teeth were AWFUL...her canines have been either broken or filed down. Basically solid yellow. I gave her bones and all kinds of things to chew on, and since she is such an active chewer, her teeth are perfect!





I won't tell you for sure, but I know for me, I have never had to do anything special. Nothing more than you would do for any other dog, I mean. Give them a quality kibble. Give them good things to chew on (I am not going to get into what those things are unless you ask, since it is a controversial subject and people feel that some things are good and other people feel they are bad!) Have regular vet checkups to make sure there aren't any problems, and have dentals if your vet tells you it is necessary.





Enjoy your new puppy! There are quite a few things to worry about...this in my opinion isn't one of them. Do what you would do for any dog as it pertains to their teeth and he/she should be fine! But again, that's just my opinion based on experience.