Wry Face
Wry face, or wry bite, is an uneven jaw where one side grew differently from the other, so the teeth meet crookedly and can injure the mouth.
A wry face means the jaws are not symmetrical: one side of the upper jaw, the lower jaw, or both has grown longer, shorter, or shifted compared with the other side. The result is a muzzle that looks slightly crooked or twisted, and teeth that no longer meet the way they should. Veterinary dentists call this maxillomandibular asymmetry, or a class IV malocclusion. "Wry bite" is the older name still used by many breeders, though specialists prefer the precise term because it says which part of the jaw is out of line and in which direction. The same idea has different names in other species: in horses and cattle, a congenital sideways deviation of the upper jaw and nose is known as wry nose.
Most jaw asymmetries show up while a young animal is growing. Genetics plays a part, since some breeds and some family lines produce more malocclusions than others, but a knock to the face or jaw during the growth phase can also arrest growth on one side while the other keeps lengthening. Baby teeth that fail to fall out can steer the adult teeth into the wrong place too. In dogs, class IV is the least common of the four malocclusion classes, and it is seen most often after trauma in young animals. Cats can be affected as well.
Why it matters for your pet
The concern is not how the face looks. When the bite is uneven, teeth land where they were never meant to: a lower canine can press into the roof of the mouth, incisors can rub raw patches into the gums or lips, and teeth with no opposing partner wear unevenly or trap food and plaque. That means sores, infection, and quiet, ongoing pain. Signs worth a check-up include:
- visibly crooked teeth or a jaw that looks off-centre
- dropping food, chewing on one side, or turning the head to eat
- blood-tinged saliva, bad breath, or a sore-looking spot on the palate
- reluctance to have the mouth touched, or pawing at the face
A vet assesses the bite in the awake animal and, in most cases, again under anaesthesia with dental x-rays, which show the tooth roots and jaw structure that are impossible to judge from the outside. Treatment aims at a comfortable, working mouth rather than a tidy smile. Depending on where the trauma is happening, options range from simply monitoring a mild asymmetry that causes no damage, to extracting the offending tooth, shortening a crown and sealing it, or moving teeth with an orthodontic appliance. Puppies and kittens benefit from having their bite checked early, while baby teeth are still present, because that is when the simplest corrections are still possible. Because a genetic component is suspected in many malocclusions, veterinary guidance is generally to breed only animals with a normal, non-traumatic bite. This is general information; a hands-on dental exam is the way to find out what your own pet's bite needs.