Losing Teeth

Question
I have a Toy Poodle who is seven years old and lost one of its front tooth.  Is that normal?? At what age does a Toy poodle start to lose it's teeth??  I have taken her to get her teeth cleaned and I clean them in between.

Thank you.

Answer
Hello Angela,
As to Tooth loss, it depends on the dogs background, enviroment, what types of foods they are fed and what kinds of chewies, treats and toys they have to chew on.  All these things can help keep the teeth clean and free of plaque and tartar buildup, which determines tooth loss.
You didn't mention if her breath smelled bad or not.  Bad Breath can be a sign of tooth problems such as gum disease, infection, and or tooth decay.  
Your dog probably won't seem in pain.  Dogs in the wild hide their pain because pain is a sign of weakness and this trait has passed to the domestic dogs.  Red gums, rubbing their face along the couch or bed, blood on a chew toy, bad breath, loose teeth and favoring one side of their mouth or dropping food when they eat can be signs of advanced oral problems.  

The fact that you get your dogs teeth cleaned by the Vet is good, but to really do a good job, the Vet needs to put the dog under anesthesia.  Only then can the Vet get under the gum line and do a thorough cleaning on your dogs mouth and teeth.  Brushing your dogs teeth is very helpful and should be done everyday.  

I have a Standard Poodle that just turned 14 and he has almost all of his teeth and they are in fairly good shape, even though he doesn't get them brushed as often as he needs them.  I also have a 10 yr old Standard that has had teeth problems since he was younger.  He had a discolored tooth and started with gum disease at around age 5.  I have had to work harder on his teeth to keep his mouth healthy and he has lost about 3 teeth.  

The front teeth are smaller and have a smaller root.  They tend to be lost sooner than the bigger canine teeth or back teeth.  Check to see if your dogs gums up front are red or sore.  Touch them and see if your dog reacts.  If she does, she could have the start of gum disease.  

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions about this or other Poodle questions in general, please feel free to ask me.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim