Rodents have enlarged chewing muscles that allow their jaw to work in a vertical, forward and backward motion. Only the front surface of the incisors has enamel, the back is softer dentine. This arrangement allows the continuously growing incisors to remain sharp as they are worn off. Most rodents eat a plant-based diet while some enjoy delicacies such as snails, turtles, clams, crayfish, ants and scorpions.
Rat incisors are designed like chisels, with hard yellow to orange enamel on the outside—the cutting edge—and softer white dentine forming the rest of the tooth. Because rat incisors grow continuously, overgrown teeth are a possible problem. You may have heard that unless a rat has wood or other hard material to chew his teeth will overgrow, but this isn't true. The teeth overgrow only if there is a medical problem which prevents normal tooth grinding.
In healthy rats, the upper and lower teeth are lined up and keep each other sharp and the proper length by grinding together. If a tooth is knocked out of alignment, both it and the opposing tooth will become too long.
Overlong teeth can rub sores in the mouth and prevent the rat from eating. Abnormal teeth are usually crooked or uneven. If the teeth are straight and even they are probably normal. The rat may stop eating hard foods, due to an inability to chew normally. This inability to chew may be caused by either pain or physical disability.
I know of this problem occurring in two rats where the problem eventually progressed to acute pain in the jaw, perhaps caused by heart problems. Here is a photo showing a case of overgrown teeth, where the left top incisor was only being partially ground off, resulting in a long sharp spike that curled back into the roof of the mouth. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article.
We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Restrain your rat. Your rat will not want to hold still while you look at his teeth, so it's important to make sure he is properly restrained. Ideally, you should have a second person hold the rat while you examine his teeth.
You can also try wrapping the rat in a towel. If your rat is particularly squirmy, you can use an old sock to create a straight jacket for him. Simply cut off the toe of the sock and place the tube around your rat's body. Then use some masking tape to tape the sock loosely around your rat's neck. Be sure to secure the bottom of the sock as well. If your rat is especially cooperative, you can try letting him stand on his hind legs on a table, holding him upright with one hand right under his front legs.
Use your free hand hand to open his mouth. Observe the length of the teeth. Once you have your rat properly restrained and you can see her teeth, pay attention to the length of the incisors. The top incisors should be approximately 4 mm long, and the bottom incisors should be approximately 7 mm long. The teeth should be long enough that they rub against each other, but they should not overlap. Check for alignment problems. While you are observing the length of your rat's incisors, pay attention to their alignment as well.
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