I have a puppy with an overbite. His lower canines have been clipped to prevent them from making a hole in the roof of his mouth.

When the adult teeth come in, will they need to be shortened as well? I only know of one person whose dog had a puppy overbite. It still has an overbite, but the lower canines do not hit the roof of his mouth. They say it has not caused a problem at all. What can I expect?

I've had a couple in the past where it wasn't a problem. In the last 4 years I've had two and in both instances, the pups ended up with "doggy braces". I think it was a case of an over zealous veterinarian. The last one was checked by two different vets and they didn't think it was a problem but the puppy buyers took her to their vet who referred them to a vet dentist who put the braces on.

So when the adult teeth came in, did they grow on the outside and not into the roof of the mouth? If that is right, I would think it would not be all that bad.

In my case, the puppy people didn't tell me until after the fact so I don't know for sure. In one case the girl was 5 months old and had been checked by 2 different vets who said it was fine.

Mild to extreme overbites (parrot mouths) rarely require anything. It's common thought that when the bottom incisors grow into the roof of the mouth that that is "bad" when actually the dog's mouth naturally develops this way with no blood or open wounds. The holes in the upper palate form as the puppy forms. The dog is not uncomfortable in any way nor do the incisors create any issues. The dog is able to eat and pick up toys, birds, etc.
It is most often not necessary to clip puppy or adult lower canines. It does not usually resolve itself especially if present as a young pup.

Don't think a dental specialist would agree with this assessment. I personally would want to do everything possible to correct the bite so that the puppy buyers don't have to deal with more serious surgical repair as a young adult.
And it really depends on how the adult teeth come in. They can come in just fine behind the pulled or clipped baby tooth or they can come in crooked and cause a permanent adult malocclusion.

Yeah - and those dental specialists like to make money doing pointless procedures. Had a bitch years ago who had worn down her canines - didn't know any better and took her to a dental specialist who insisted she needed caps and all sorts of $$$ procedures so she wouldn't get infections down the road. I didn't do it - bitch lived to 14 with no infections. So many specialists are there to make a buck with little thought given to the actual necessity of the procedure.

What I find interesting is that everyone is trying to correct something that may correct itself. I've had a few overbites over the years... the one that comes to mind was a gorgeous choc male that I placed in a pet home due to overbite/parrot mouth. They came back to visit when the dog was around 2 and wa-la- PERFECT scissors bite. And trust me, nothing was done.