Did you do the first step?

 

The first step before you go down this rabbit hole, is to have a veterinarian look at your puppy's teeth. Veterinarians will be able to evaluate your pup's bite, tell you whether they have base narrow canines, and how severely they are affected.

K, one more thing before we start! 

This article is purely for general education purposes and does not constitute veterinary medical advise. I can only diagnose, make recommendations, and answer specific questions for MY patients.

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History

Although present in many other dog breeds, the poodle is kind of the poster child for BNCs. This is thought to be the result of selecting for a long and narrow muzzle consistent with the breed standard. Along with the selection for the aesthetic we've come to love and expect for the poodle, came a slimming of the mandibles (lower jaw bones) and tendency for BNCs.
 

BNCs have likely been present in poodles since the breed's origin, but with the fast rising popularity of both poodles and doodles, people are starting to see and talk about the issue more than ever before!

 

BNCs are commonly identified at a poodle or doodle puppy's first vet visit. However, mild BNCs can be subtle and can sometimes be MISSED at a puppy's first vet visit.  I've found it can be particularly frustrating for new puppy buyers if the issue is not identified before purchase, but found by the puppy's new veterinarian.

 

All puppies should be examined by a veterinarian after teeth have erupted (6+ weeks) and prior to going home with a client. If BNCs are found, the breeder should disclose that information prior to purchase so clients can make an educated decision. 

 

It is NOT uncommon for veterinarians to recommend treatment, including extraction one or both of the baby teeth, and/or referral to a veterinary dentist, even with very mild cases.

 

To be clear, I am not vet-bashing here! I AM a vet and when I started diagnosing BNCs, I made similar recommendations. And they're not wrong! That's really what we're taught to do! My opinion started to change only because I was personally working in the poodle and doodle breeding communities and seeing literally hundreds of examples resolve without surgery. Experience has taught me that things are not always as dire as originally thought! ​

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Treatment

 

 The good news is that most mild cases will resolve with little to no intervention!
 

 In my experience, the vast majority of cases with mild base narrow canines will resolve without any intervention. Some vets or breeders recommend using "ball therapy", which may or may not be helpful, but probably won't hurt. Regardless, I have found that my cases with mild BNC often resolve within a couple of weeks. The anatomic relationship between the palate and lower canine can actually help resolve BNC in mild cases. So long as the teeth are not too rotated, the soft palate pushes the canines to "flare out" every time the puppy closes their mouth. 

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Are they in pain?

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I think it is reasonable to assume there is discomfort with BNCs considering how sharp puppy teeth are! However, in my experience, puppies with mild cases continue to eat, chew, and play with toys without any outward signs of discomfort or pain and do not require pain medication.

SIDE NOTE: If your puppy is found to be in pain, please consult with a vet dentist!

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Since most mild cases of BNC do not bother the puppy AND resolve within a couple weeks, I do not recommend extraction for mild cases of base narrow canines to my clients.​

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           On the flip side, more moderate to severe cases of puppies with BNC may  necessitate the extractions. I've personally seen most moderate cases of BNC  also resolve without treatment as well, but it does take a little longer, which can be considered when weighing the pros and cons of intervention. The presence of other types of dental malocclusions such as over bite, under bite, or wry bite in addition to BNC can really complicate things. Some of the most difficult cases to resolve can be those with over bite and BNCs. Depending on the BNCs and the severity of the other malocclusion present, these cases often DO require extractions and/or referral to a veterinary dentist.

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If your pup has base narrows AND an underbite, intervention is often necessary.

Extractions of puppy teeth can be carefully performed under general anesthesia by a veterinary dentist or an experienced general practitioner.  Most of these procedures are straight forward and successful, but even with experienced vets, there are some small risks due to use of anesthesia and potential for permanent damage the adult canines and/or incisors. Please discuss risks with your pup's veterinarian.​​​

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When you see your puppy's adult canines erupting around 5-6 months, start ball therapy, and make a recheck appointment with your vet to see if further treatment is necessary!
 

It is important that if your puppy had BNC with their baby teeth, that they have a recheck exam when adult teeth are coming in and after they are full erupted! As the adult canines are coming to the surface, "ball therapy" is used to help the teeth move in the right direction. Most dogs will not require any treatment.

 

If the adolescent dog is diagnosed with BNCs with fully erupted adult teeth, this is cause for concern and referral to a vet dentist is probably warranted! A vet dentist may recommend orthodontic treatments. A common orthodontic technique used with BNCs is the inclined plane retainer.  Alternative options sometimes include extraction of one or more teeth OR  a crown reduction with pulp therapy, to shorten the tooth enough to avoid impact with the top of the mouth.  To read more about Orthodontics, please click the button at the bottom of the page!

 

Breeder's Discussion 
 

                BNCs are hereditary in nature. This is supported both by their prevalence in particular breeds and in particular bloodlines. In my own experience, I have found them to be very common in both solid colored and multicolor poodles, standards, minis, and toys. Outcrossing different breeds with poodles to make doodles does NOT appear to eliminate this issue either! BNCs are fairly common in doodles of all kinds. To date, there is no available genetic testing for malocclusions of any kind. Malocclusions are currently understood to be the result of complex interaction between many genes and can be hard to predict. For example, dogs with normal bites can produce puppies with malocclusions and vice versa. It can also skip a generation. 
 

               Given the prevalence of this issue, it would be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to remove all BNCs  from the entire breeding populations of poodles and doodles. I typically advise CAUTION with my breeder clients if they're considering choosing breeding prospects with even mild BNCs. I encourage my breeder clients to choose puppies with normal bites whenever possible. If a breeder chooses to keep a breeding prospect with mild BNCs as a puppy, it is important to ensure that the issue resolved prior to adulthood. It is my personal opinion that dogs who have moderate to severe cases of BNCs as a puppy and/or BNCs still present with their adult dentition should NOT be chosen as breeding prospects. If you are selecting FOR a known defect, you will increase both the prevalence and severity of that defect in future offspring. Please breed responsibly, folks! 

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** This article is written for the purposes of general education only and not meant to serve as medical advice for your pet's care. Please consult with your primary vet or a vet dentist to generate a specific treatment plan for your pet.  I am unable to give medical advice for your pet unless we have a veterinary-client-patient relationship which requires both an office visit and physical examination each year. **

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Written by:
Jordan Mogen, DVM 

Small Animal Veterinarian & Dog Breeder

Last updated: May  2022 
Anatomic art by: Karli Mogen