Malocclusion

Malocclusion in rabbits occurs when their teeth are misaligned and lead to overgrown teeth.

The exact cause of dental disease in rabbits is unclear, although it is likely to be multifactorial and involve the following:
 * Inadequate teeth wear due to insufficient coarse fiber in the diet.
 * Nutritional deficiency, including calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, magnesium and protein.
 * Genetic disposition - Netherland Dwarfs and lop-eared rabbits with flat faces seem to be especially susceptible.

Incisor malocclusion
Rabbits have six incisor teeth - two on top, two on bottom, and two peg teeth located behind the top teeth. Normal incisor wear, growth, and eruption in healthy rabbits is balanced to a rate of about 3mm a week.

'''Never attempt to trim your rabbit's incisors at home. This can seriously harm your rabbit and cause pain and irreversible damage.

Frequently observed dental problems from self-trimming with a cutter or nail clipper include the following:


 * Sharp edges, that can hurt the rabbit when eating or grooming.
 * Stress fracture or longitudinal cracks in the tooth, either in the visible part or under the gum line.
 * Tooth growth stopping due to damage of the tooth root (endodontic diseases).
 * Exposure of the dental pulp resulting in pulpitis (inflammation of the most internal part of a tooth, the dental pulp).
 * Abscessation and changes of the surrounding tissues and the alveolar bone.
 * Fracture of the jaw bone.
 * Pain due to the sudden concussion of the dental pulp and nerves in the periodontal and periapical tissues surrounding the tooth root, due to the enormous amount of energy released into the tooth during the clipping.

The following are more articles about why not to trim incisors at home without professional medical tools:


 * MediRabbit.com. Never trim the incisors of your rabbit yourself !!!
 * Bunny Brigade Inc. (2023). Surgical footage of a rabbit that had to undergo 5 surgical procedures after owners attempted to trim teeth on their own.

Extra resources

 * PetMD. Abnormality of Incisor Teeth in Rabbits

Incisor removal
For rabbits that require regular incisor trims, removing the problematic incisors completely may be a good choice as a semi-permanent solution, although the upfront cost may be high. The surgery should be completed by a rabbit-savvy veterinarian experienced in the procedure to reduce the risk of missing teeth remnants in the gums - any teeth parts left can regrow into full teeth again and require trims and another extraction again.

Experiences

 * Bessbrook Vet Clinic. (2022). Max's story
 * u/headpeon. (2019). Experience with Percy's teeth removal: comment 1, comment 2, post 3
 * Angie Bell. (2019). Minto's story
 * Bunny Lu Adoptions, Inc. (2019). Incisor extraction for Oreo
 * Dick Vet Rabbit and Exotic Practice. (2018). Pictures of removed incisors (Graphic)
 * Allambie Vet. (2018). Phoebe (Graphic)
 * Dr Bree. (2017). A bunny that required incisor removal due to malocclusion and disease (Graphic)
 * Contra Costa Rabbit Rescue. (2017). Astro's incisor removal
 * u/zealotlee. (2015). Sushi is going in for lateral ear surgery to remove a staph infection AND getting his incisors removed today.
 * r/Rabbits. (2015). any buns with malocclusion out there?
 * Diana Petty. When Teeth Turn to Tusks

Extra resources

 * John G A Robinson. Rabbit Dentistry
 * Vetlexicon. Incisor teeth: extraction

Experiences

 * Pete the Vet. (2017). Button had stopped eating and was rubbing at his mouth
 * Marinell Harriman. When Chester Couldn't Chew

Extra resources

 * Jean Silva. Molar Spurs.
 * WikiVet. (2012). Cheek Teeth Malocclusion – Rabbit

Experiences
The following are stories of rabbits with severe malocclusion in both incisors and molars.


 * Debbie Hanson. Stella's story]

Online support communities
The following are some communities for owners with rabbits with dental problems:


 * Facebook, Rabbit dental support group (Private)