Kitten Baby Teeth Not Falling Out

Retained baby teeth in cats.

Kitten baby teeth not falling out. The baby tooth falls out when a permanent tooth underneath pushes the root of the baby tooth out and eventually makes it fall out. You may have noticed your cat chewing on things more lately and that s part of what kittens do to help their loose baby teeth fall out. Most children lose their baby teeth by the time they reach age 5. Such teeth may go undiagnosed until later in life.

Kittens have 26 deciduous teeth and adult cats have 30 permanent teeth. By the time the average kitten reaches 6 7 months of age all 30 adult teeth will have erupted. Sometimes the permanent tooth erupts alongside the baby tooth known as a persistent deciduous tooth. It can also be comforting to sore gums believe it or not.

A retained or persistent deciduous baby tooth is one that is still present despite the eruption of the permanent tooth which takes place between three to sevens months of age. If your vet elects to remove these teeth it is usually done at the same time of the spay and neuter appointment. Persistent deciduous teeth can cause the permanent teeth to erupt in abnormal positions resulting in a bad bite. Ideally the baby tooth associated with that permanent tooth falls out.

By 5 months all the canine teeth fangs are in and by 6 months all the adult premolars the teeth just behind the fangs have erupted. These retained teeth are usually removed to prevent further dental issues or infections or to ensure the adult teeth come in without obstructions. If your kitten was altered at 6 months and encounters this problem an additional procedure might be required. Some kittens have teeth that do not fall out.