BROKEN teeth are a very common occurrence in dogs and cats and getting to the root of the problem is relatively easy.
They can break due to trauma or due to chewing on hard objects. In puppies it can easily happen in tug and pull games with ropes.
Bruce, a four-month-old pup belonging to one of our nurses, fractured one of his temporary fang (canine) teeth this way. Becky, who is currently studying for the Dental Nursing Certificate, realised the consequences this could have for his future dentition. To protect the permanent canine, this tooth needed to be extracted as soon as possible.
After a tooth is fractured, bacteria from the mouth will creep into the pulp (root canal) and infect the tooth. These infected teeth are painful, as anyone who has needed a root canal treatment can testify.
Unfortunately, only very rarely will our pets show discomfort, as they prefer to suffer in silence. For example, Bruce was still eating and playing.
This allows owners to ignore the problem, some thinking ‘it does not seem to bother him’. But think about having a broken tooth yourself - you would most probably visit a dentist.
Often we only see how depressed the animal was when the offending tooth is removed. The dog suddenly seems a lot happier.
Compared with their permanent successors, the roots of deciduous (temporary) teeth are longer and thinner.
A pre-operative radiograph was taken to determine the proximity of the deciduous tooth to the permanent tooth, and to evaluate the length of the root.
The permanent canine was seen on the X-ray as a small bud near the root of the deciduous fang tooth and it would still take a couple of months before it would erupt through the gums.
I removed the fang tooth with an open surgical extraction method. A flap of overlying gum (gingiva) was lifted, and the bone over the tooth was drilled away.
This makes it easier to extract the tooth, without affecting the bud of the permanent tooth. Afterwards the gums were sutured over the hole, so food could not get in there.
Bruce is recovering well, and will hopefully not sink his teeth into something too soon!