Rabbit teeth injury

Question
My daughter was holding her rabbit and he jumped out of her arms.  In falling, she heard a thump when he hit his face on the bed. Right away he started to make grinding sounds and fast chewing actions.  She was able to open his mouth and saw blood from the upper front tooth gum area and she feels like his teeth are very loose. What should we do? Will the fall out? Will they strengthen? How should he eat? What do we do for him.  Please answer as soon as you can !!Thank you
Mom of Chelsea

Answer
Dear Chelsea and Mom,

Fortunately, the bunny's teeth will grow back even if they are broken. Rabbits are hypsodonts, meaning their teeth grow continually.

But in an emergency like this, the internet is NOT the place to seek help.  You need to get the bunny to a good rabbit vet immediately:

www.rabbit.org/vets

since internet help is not going to be immediate in most cases.

The vet should check to see if any facial bones were broken, which could affect the bunny's future dental occlusion (i.e., how the teeth meet). If they heal in a crooked way, the bunny may need a lifetime of tooth filings to prevent dangerous overgrowth.  Please see:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

If the teeth are broken below the gumline, the vet may wish to remove the broken parts so that the unbroken teeth can grow back in without causing the bunny pain.  The lower teeth may need to be filed shorter so they don't overgrow while the top ones are growing back in.

In the meantime, bunny's fresh food will have to be grated/sliced small into bite-sized pieces, since he won't be able to incise (cut) them with is front teeth until they grow back.

As you've found out the hard way, most rabbits do NOT like to be held and carried.  They should be played with on the ground, where they feel in control of their own feet.  This fosters trust.  You can read more about how to win a bunny's trust and how to properly approach playtime here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/shybun.html

I hope this helps, and that no more injuries will occur because of incorrect handling of the bunny.

Take care,
Dana