The dentist said to remove them because they could cause jaw instability (is this a thing?!)
it actually is if teeth are left to rot, this dental disease does go into the jaw. I personally would be concerned with the teeth doing bother to your pup's tongue. I currently have a toy poodle who had 13 retained baby teeth they adult teeth came in behind his baby teeth, I did have them removed but they still did damage to the roots of his adult incisors. My boy is 6 and is going for dental next week. Basically despite my best efforts I couldn't keep my boy's crowded teeth clean, if I could have I would have flossed his teeth all that captive debris caused dental disease.

 

Thank you for your response! Omg, floss? I didn't know we should be flossing our puppies' teeth, but that makes sense.

What age did you have those baby teeth extracted?

 

I've not been in this position and not medically trained but looking at the photos, as those teeth are placed, they not only look to serve no useful purpose but are placed to potentially cause damage.

There are vets that specialize in dental issues so you might consider getting an evaluation with one for your second opinion.

Also, not sure what is meant by 3rd set of incisors? Typo maybe?

 

Thank you for your response! By 3rd set of incisors, I mean the ones directly beside his canines. He basically has his lower incisors (4 teeth in front) as seen in the picture of him smiling. Then his molars. The upper teeth appear fine, so basically it's the lower canines and incisors next to them.

Since he's over 1 year old already and has no retained baby teeth, I guess I'm just hoping all will stay as it is and he will be fine. The canine tips under his tongue have barely broken through.

It just seemed so invasive for the doggie dentist to recommend extracting 4 teeth that are still in his gums. It feels so trauma inducing.

 

Leonard was 8 1/2 months old when he had his baby teeth extracted, poor gums were swollen.
Toy poodles have notoriously bad teeth because of how the are crowded together.
I was joking about flossing, no dog will allow that but I have used a water pik to get rid the debris caught in my boy's teeth, alas it hasn't helped as much as I had hoped.

 

My baby shark

 

Six years later so much crud in between his teeth
My little man Leonard

 

It just seemed so invasive for the doggie dentist to recommend extracting 4 teeth that are still in his gums. It feels so trauma inducing.

You've mentioned these concerns a couple of times. What's your biggest worry?

Dogs recover from extractions, even those requiring more than just a yank, quickly and pretty easily. They will do all they can to hide pain and discomfort instinctually so it's often a revelation to us how much they have been hiding from us.

Beyond the difficulties for him in terms of placement, the possibility of systemic infection is real with dental issues and can even be a factor in developing heart problems just as with humans.

In a perfect mouth he'd have 6 incisors in front of his canines on his upper jaw and 6 incisors in front of the canines on his lower jaw.

Based on your description and the photos I see 4 incisors normally placed on the lower jaw and two presumed adult canine teeth, misplaced behind the 4 normally placed incisors.

I can't see the twisted incisors you're referring to but if they're not growing normally, they're a potentially serious difficulty for him and maybe sooner than later.

I can't be sure, it might just be the positioning in the photo, but it also looks like his lower jaw may be undershot.

With his dentition overall not being ideal, I'd think hard about giving him as much normal as I could.

As twyla noted, dental issues aren't uncommon in poodles, especially the smaller varieties, for the reasons she noted.

Both my miniature boys had to have extractions a couple of years ago due to fractured teeth from a too-hard chew. The vet later noted on the report that one boy was actually missing several teeth that apparently just never developed.

 

Thanks so much. He’s my 1st poodle, so I really lack experience here. I guess my fear is his trauma and my concern is that the dentist is acting on ‘worst case scenario’ when in reality, perhaps he would be fine and the 4 teeth would somewhat remain as they are (mostly in the gums)…?? Everywhere I’ve read points to issues during the first 9 months or so, but given that he’s 14 months old, I guess I’m hoping they’re finished growing. I can’t help but wonder, if I leave him be, would they stay as they are? Is it beneficial to him for us to wait? Are they potentially a non issue?

After reading all these comments, I’m feeling more convinced that extraction is the way to go, so I truly appreciate your insight! This is exactly why I came on the forum.

The dentist did also confirm that he doesn’t appear to be in any discomfort currently, no swelling nor infection is present. He let them do a full oral exam with no sedation. I absolutely want to give him the best chance of a happy, long life!

I have an appt with a different vet/dentist for a 2nd opinion and hubby and I already said if he also says to extract, we will do it.

Thanks again for your insight!!!!

PS. I had to Google jaw undershot and looking at images, you might be right!

 

the 4 teeth would somewhat remain as they are (mostly in the gums)…??

For the record, all teeth grow from the jaw up thru the gum. They start with the roots. What I can't figure is what those two teeth under the tongue are growing from. The roots must be running sideways from the jawbone. The calcium to build the teeth comes thru the jawbone.

The dentist said to remove them because they could cause jaw instability

Because the teeth come from the jawbone outward whatever happens to the teeth are also affecting the jawbone structure.

An xray should answer those questions and would be needed regardless before proceeding with any extractions.
If the teeth have no roots and are only situated in the gum, like the descriptions below, they would be loose and easy to extract. (Don't try this at home til you have diagnostic xrays .)

What happens during teething? Long before adult teeth erupt through the gums, they begin developing from tooth buds located in the upper and lower jaws. As the adult teeth develop, they begin to exert pressure against the roots of the deciduous teeth, stimulating the roots of the deciduous teeth to begin resorbing.
Persistent Deciduous Teeth (Baby Teeth) in Dogs | VCA Animal Hospital | VCA Animal Hospitals (vcahospitals.com)

What Do Puppy Teeth Look Like When They Fall Out?
The teeth are typically very white, small, and pointed. You will not notice much of a root because they’re absorbed as the adult teeth develop in the jawbone. This is also why the baby teeth become wiggly and fall out.
All About Puppy Teeth | Zoetis Petcare

Interpretation of Dental Radiographs in Dogs and Cats, Part 2: Normal Variations and Abnormal Findings | Today's Veterinary Practice (todaysveterinarypractice.com)

Glad you're going for the 2nd opinion. I know you want what's best for him .

 

Copied from my thread on my boys extractions in 2021.

Two weeks and an ooch and both boys are doing very well. I'd maintained that neither boy was showing any signs of pain, but something that had all but stopped resumed in earnest the other day, bitey face fighting!

It had slipped away gradually, so if I'd noticed it at all, I would have just thought they'd outgrown it. It's hard to notice things that aren't there .

They're also playing more again, not more often, but longer and more actively when they do than in some time too.

As for having pain, I'm sure now that there was for both. I would have sworn there wasn't before their recovery but seeing the difference now tells me all.

I mean, how could a dog crack down on and hew chunks off of a yak chew if they had pain doing it? They were both eager for their walks, playing and chasing things and each other inside and out, ate with no difficulty, truly nothing overt to tip us off that they might be hurting. I don't think it had been for months, but even to not have noticed for a few weeks, I just feel like a bad pooparent.