both top front teeth knocked out

Question
Hi Dana,

I have a 2-year old neutered, male house rabbit.  A week ago my husband took our bunny for a routine vet exam, and our lionhead jumped off the examining table and landed face first on the tile below, knocking out both front teeth at the gums.  He was given a sedative and pain killer.  We were told to watch his behavior, but not to worry because "rabbits are fine without their front teeth."  

Is this true?  I'm concerned about future malloclusion and/or regrowth problems.  Also, I am concerned that my bunny will be in pain while the new teeth grow in.

What advice can you offer me regarding rabbits who are missing front teeth?  (So far he is eating, drinking, and grooming normally).

Many thanks,
Adrienne

Answer
Dear Adrienne,

Ow!!  Poor bunny!!  

The main concern here would be whether your bunny damaged the jaw bone housing the teeth.  If the bones are fine, then the teeth will likely grow back uneventfully.  It's true that he can do just fine without his front teeth for a few days.

If they broke off at the gumline, then they broke well below the point where there is any pulp or innervation, and it won't hurt when they grow back in.  In fact, you will be *amazed* at how fast they grow back!  Within a few days, he'll have tooth nubs, and in about a week, you'll hardly know they were broken.

I would ask about having the lower incisors trimmed down low, though, since the uppers will have about a week's worth of "catch up" to do.  If the teeth don't meet properly as they grow back in, it could cause problems.  So just as a precaution, you might want to ask about trimming the lowers down so they don't overgrow and poke bunny's upper gums and cause pain and even infection while the uppers are growing back.

I hope that helps.

Dana