Orthodontics

Yes, dogs can need orthodontics too. We treat all types of malocclusion (bites that are not right) in our practice. From full braces to getting a canine that is in the wrong location into the correct one. Having a human dentist on board at I-20 helps in that he brings many years of training in ortho into the veterinary field. We treat multiple orthodontic cases a week so this is not some side show that we do on occasion. If you have that special case that needs perfecting, we can help solve your problem.

Occasionally, we have cases as simple as a class 3 underbite (I call it the Jay Leno look) where the lower teeth protrude out over the upper. We often can put a lower ramp appliance in place and “jump’ the upper teeth over the lower ones. You can see what a ramp looks like below.

We also see cases where the canines stick into the roof of the mouth and prevent the dog or cat from closing properly. In order to move the canines into their proper position, guidance appliances work very well here.

Dr. Bloom and I do just about anything your orthodontist does except we do it on dogs and cats. It is often a health issue and not just a cosmetic one.

A simple ramp for an underbite. This poor dog’s bite would not allow full closure of the teeth. This ramp (the same we use for human kids) brought the teeth into alignment after about four months and allowed the back teeth to once again close all the way.

This dog’s bite was so severe we had to do upper wires and lower power chains to get the teeth back into alignment. After about 8 month’s, the teeth were in perfect position.

This dog’s lower canine was so out of position that it stuck into the roof of the mouth. We had to bring it forward and outward in order to get it into its proper place. Canines are very hard to move in dogs so we chose a fixed ramp which gently pushes it into position with every bite the dog takes. Six months later we had it exactly where it should be.