Lance or Spear Tooth

This misalignment and incomplete eruption of an upper canine tooth results in painful tooth-to-tooth contact and gum infection if not treated.

Lance teeth occur most commonly in Shetland Sheepdogs. One or both upper canine teeth erupt in an abnormal orientation and become trapped behind the upper incisor. The lower canine tooth strikes this upper canine (painful) and may tip the tooth outward or inward resulting in lip contact or palate contact respectively. Moreover, when the upper canine fails to fully erupt, food and plaque will develop under the gum of these upper canine teeth resulting in pain, gum infection and bone loss.

Treatment depends on the severity of the condition and age of the patient. Many can be treated with orthodontic therapy (elastic chain) to tip the upper canine into a normal position. Others may need extraction therapy.

It depends on the severity of the condition and age of the patient, below is one of the possible treatments:

Schedule an appointment to have your pet evaluated by clicking on the “Get In Touch with Us” button.