How Long Does It Take for a Hamster's Teeth to Grow?

Hamsters are unusual in the animal world because they are among few born with their teeth already erupted. A hamster̵7;s teeth grow for his lifetime; he manages by gnawing nearly continuously on hard objects. As a caring owner, you must watch for potential problems that can result from overgrowth of his incisors, the teeth at the front of his jaw. If you ignore overgrowth, your hamster can starve.

  1. Born Baring

    • When your hamster is born, he already has a full set of teeth. Despite the fact that he nurses from his mother, he has to be able to nibble at hamster food within days of his birth, because young hamsters separate from their mothers early. Once he has begun to eat seeds and other solids, your hamster will control the growth of his incisors by nibbling at his foods and gnawing at his cage bars or chunks of wood you place inside his cage, according to the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine website.

    Lifelong Growth

    • Your hamster should keep his original set of teeth throughout the two to three years he will live, according to the Hammys World website. Both sets of incisors will grow daily, but because of the wear and tear to which they are subjected, he can control how long they get. Think of the diet he moves to when he stops nursing -- seeds and hamster mix. These are hard, and he has to gnaw at them to get to the food. This doesn̵7;t mean you can relax and let nature have its way. You̵7;ll still need to watch your hamster and make sure he̵7;s not allowing his teeth to grow too long.

    Some Issues

    • Your hamster may stop managing the growth of his incisors, which will become a health problem. While hamsters normally gnaw to manage incisor growth, an individual hamster could choose not to, the California Hamster Association suggests. Or a hamster could also have misaligned upper and lower incisors, which means he won̵7;t be able to keep them at a manageable length no matter how hard he tries. If you notice a possible misalignment, take him to a veterinarian who specializes in small animals. The vet can clip his teeth down to the correct size periodically. Meanwhile, if your hamster falls, he could lose a tooth. Unlike tooth loss in a human, it can become a major health issue. If a too-long incisor grows into the opposite jaw, he can develop an infection or the tooth can penetrate his skull, according to the California Hamster Association.

    Symptoms

    • Should you suspect your hamster has developed dental problems such as overgrown incisors, look for refusal to eat, weight loss or drooling. If he does have a misaligned tooth that has caused an injury, sniff to see if you can pick up a foul odor coming from his face, indicating a possible infection. Observe your hamster. If you notice that he won̵7;t close his mouth or is unable to do so, call your vet and tell him what̵7;s happening.