Farm Animals

Pig Dental Welfare and Teeth Clipping

Neonatal teeth clipping in pigs reduces injury to sows and littermates but is itself a painful procedure with welfare implications.

Key Facts

Neonatal piglets have sharp needle teeth that can injure sows' teats and cause facial wounds in littermates
Teeth clipping should only be performed when injury is documented, not routinely
Teeth grinding (resection) rather than clipping causes less tissue damage
EU law permits teeth clipping only as a last resort, not routinely
Provision of enrichment and adequate sow milk reduces competitive biting behaviour

Welfare Considerations

Routine teeth clipping causes acute pain and risk of pulp exposure, increasing infection risk. It is not justified unless teat or facial injuries are documented. Addressing root causes of competitive biting through enrichment and sow milk production management is preferable to routine tooth modification.

What You Can Do

Support pork producers who do not perform routine teeth clipping
Advocate for teeth clipping restrictions to genuine welfare necessity
Choose higher welfare pork labels requiring reduced routine procedures