broken top front teeth

Question
I am very concerened that my rabbit broke his top teeth and I don't even know how he did it.  One tooth is completly gone, the other is the one that really concerns me as it is cracked/ split accross the tooth towards the top and is still attached.  The tooth now pertrudes towards the back off his mouth like a tusk.  Will it eventually break off and grow back like the other tooth or is it in need of repair?  Is he in any pain from the crack?  I purchased vegetable baby food and softened his pellets so he can eat better, he was eating but not very much.  The softer food is going well.

Answer
Dear Sharyn,

The good news is that rabbits teeth grow continually, so his teeth should grow back normally in a week or so.

The bad news is that if he did this by jumping off the couch or some high place and whacking his nose, he might have a more serious injury that should be seen by a vet.  If there are any broken bones or cracks in his muzzle, they might need attention so that his teeth will re-grow in a straight and normal position.

It would be wise to get him to a vet, anyway, to have the remaining tooth removed.  The tooth itself doesn't hurt, but the soft tissue around it is probably traumatized, and having that tooth wiggling around in there with the sharp edges surely has to feel terrible.

You can find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

The vet can do a complete dental exam and later tell you whether the teeth are normal or maloccluded.  If they were very long and "tusky" before, then they might eventually need to be permanently extracted.  You can read more about this here:

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

I hope this helps. Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana