A guide to understanding rabbit teeth and dentistry

Rabbits are herbivorous animals that have evolved to obtain nutrition from plants. Grass, leaves and other plants are very tough; therefore rabbit teeth have to be very hard to break down the plant fibers. The incisors are only used for cutting the food into manageable pieces; it is the molars that grind the food into small pieces which are then swallowed. In the wild rabbits have to graze for many hours per day to obtain sufficient nutrients from plants and because of this constant wear, rabbit teeth grow continuously throughout their entire life. When rabbits are fed a diet deficient in tough, fibrous plant matter (hay, grass and vegetables), their teeth are not worn down properly. The individual teeth wear down at different rates, so the teeth cannot meet normally, causing the teeth grow in an even more abnormal pattern. Malocclusion is the term for teeth that do not meet normally.

Some rabbits are born with bad teeth; an under bite, an overbite, or other malformation. These rabbits need frequent dental care, and depending upon the problem, may never have a normal life. Other rabbits are born with normal teeth, but and develop malocclusion as they grow. Occasionally, malocclusion can be caused by trauma, but most frequently, malocclusions are the result of too little fiber in the diet.

It is important to ensure your rabbit has regular dental checkups as undetected dental problems are a major cause of more serious illnesses which develop due to the pain and stress of sore teeth and jaws.

Dental malocclusion in rabbits is not uncommon.  If the teeth do not line up correctly incisors quickly overgrow and can curl back into the mouth, making eating nearly impossible. Although some veterinarians will be willing to regularly trim the teeth, this is stressful for the rabbit. Also, clipping the teeth rather than filing or grinding them down can be dangerous, since fractures of the tooth from clipping can travel below the gum line, inviting bacterial infection that can ultimately be life-threatening.

Rabbits possess an unusual dentition, and when problems arise the rabbit can suffer an enormous amount of discomfort and pain. Small dental abnormalities often go undetected in the early stages, and quickly develop into major problems (due to their continuously growing nature). Rabbits commonly hide symptoms of illness; therefore, lack of typically reported symptoms does not reduce the possibility of dental problems. Signs and symptoms associated with the teeth  include; runny eyes, eagerly going to food, but then acting unwilling to actually take it into the mouth, general loss of condition, decreased food intake, anorexia,  excessive grooming, excessive salivation and drooling, obesity, facial masses or swellings, nasal discharge, inability to close the mouth and gradual (or sudden) change in dietary habits.