broken/missing teeth

Question
Hello, I have two female rats. I noticed one had dropped alot of weight and checked her teeth. It looked like her top ones had broken off, so I fed her peanut butter and bananas and other things she could easily eat. She gained a little weight back and is as energetic as usual. I noticed that she had the sickly sweet smell of rot coming from her mouth and I check a few weeks later. It looked like her top teeth were completely gone and that her bottom teeth were growing. I've just checked her again and I'm worried that the teeth will continue to grow upwards without her top teeth to grind down on them. I'm thinking of taking her to the vet to have her bottom teeth removed because I don't think she'll be able to grow her top ones back. I've also seen where people will trim their rat's teeth. Which is usually the better choice in these situations of completely decayed/ missing teeth?

Answer
Sounds like she has malocclusion. This is when the teeth grow out of alignment.It is not caused by anything in particular but it is usually hereditary.  The best bet is to take her to a vet that is very educated in rat care.   THe smell could be from dental abscesses so she needs seen right away.  SHe may have the teeth but they broke off or they may be hidden due to swelling of the gums. The vet should be able to tell if trimming them is all that is needed. Unfortunately with a condition like this her teeth will need trimmed every few weeks. I do not recommend anyone other than a vet do it because if the rat makes one wrong move, you can cut their tongue right off.
Normally when teeth grow properly, bruxing and eating naturally grind their teeth down, but when there is misalignment, they cannot grind properly and start to grow sideways or up into the top gums. This can cause sores and infection as well as pain and discomfort and of course, problems eating as you have found.

Avoid peanut butter as this is too high in protein and is a potential choking hazard. It is sticky and can block airways easily.
Instead, allow her to eat babyfood. Any type of babyfood is fine.

If you need a vet that is certified in exotics, please let me know and I can find you someone to take her to see.

Hope this helps and hope she feels better soon!