degus

*Incisor teeth: do not have orange enamel but appear white or very pale yellow in colour. Maybe other symptoms
Nutritive deficiency - inadequate intake of essential vitamins such as vitamins A, C and D or minerals such as calcium. Lack of fresh vegetable matter can also affect the color of the enamel.
Other- Severe advanced illness can affect the color of degu teeth
Check your degu is eating all the food you give them and not just picking out the bits they like. Check the ingredients of the food for the vitamin and mineral content. If you're worried, ask your vet about giving your degu vitamin supplements. Always feed a variety of fresh vegetables weekly (NOT FRUIT). Check your degu regularly of signs of tooth whitening and any other signs of illness

*Incisor teeth: are orange apart from one which appears white. Degu may otherwise be asymptomatic
Enamel hypoplasia: Ameloblasts become damaged by trauma, infection or a tumor and can't produce enamel correctly. This means there is no enamel to be stained orange on the damaged tooth.
Remove all potential sources of mouth trauma from the degu's environment. Maintain good cage hygiene and check your degu's mouth regularly to prevent infection and spot any signs of tumors.

* Incisor teeth are long, growing into the soft tissue of the mouth, causing mouth ulcers and lacerations. Difficulty eating, painful mouth
Incisor growth: Teeth are continuously growing, but are worn down when the degu gnaws and eats. This condition can occur if the degu is not wearing down their teeth properly or if an opposing incisor is missing.
Always provide wood or mineral stones** to gnaw on and a good supply of dried food. Check teeth regularly for growth/damage. Trim long teeth with nail clippers (this should be done by a VET). Bathe sore tissue with saline solution daily until healed.

* Incisor teeth don't meet or line up properly. Teeth look crooked and don't wear down uniformly. Difficulty eating, may have a painful mouth. Can also affect the molars. Weight loss, swelling.
Dental malocclusion: This condition is usually congenital. Occasionally degus can develop dental malocclusion as a result of mouth trauma such as a broken jaw.
Do not breed from degus with this condition. Check degu's teeth regularly and get your vet to trim any long teeth. Degus with dental malocclusion need their teeth trimmed regularly to allow them to eat properly.

* Degu makes a grinding noise with their teeth. May accompany difficulty eating and a painful mouth.
Bruxism: The grinding noise is caused by the involuntary grinding of the molars (back teeth). This can be caused by the growth of the molars not being worn down properly. This can cause problems as the buccal surface may become sharp and lacerate the cheeks causing painful mouth sores.
Some degus occasionally grind their back teeth together. This is nothing to worry about. However, if the grinding accompanies difficulty eating or a painful mouth you should get a vet to check your degu's molar teeth and file them down. A degu that has this problem will need their teeth checked regularly.

* Broken teeth, missing teeth, tooth is loose or wobbly. May have difficulty eating. May have bleeding round the gum
Tooth loss / Dental fracture: Trauma to the mouth (such as if the degu falls from something) can break the teeth. Loose teeth may be caused by a fracture below the gum line and the tooth may fall out later. The degu could be prone to brittle teeth (congenital). There may be a nutritive deficiency affecting hardness of the teeth, particularly vitamin D and calcium.
Remove all potential sources of trauma from environment. If degu has repeated tooth fracture, ask your vet about supplementing their diet with vitamins. If fracture still occurs do not use the degu to breed from. Keep opposite tooth short by trimming while any missing teeth re-grow. If the root is damaged the tooth may not re-grow, so always check any shed teeth for signs of root

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