hi all! I know I've been AWOL again recently but baby is ten weeks old now and we've been busy! Hahaha Anyway just thought I'd dip in for a few opinions please? On Monday we took Penny to the park, after coming back from chasing a ball I noticed one of her teeth was bleeding around the gumline, thinking she had knocked it I put the ball away and we just walked instead so she didn't damage it further. On closer inspection when we got home the tooth (a front incisor) had a big crack all the way across. I decided to just keep an eye on it for the rest of the day (Monday was a bank holiday so didn't fancy paying out of hours vet fees for something I didn't feel was an emergency). On Tuesday morning I looked at it again and the bit of tooth where the crack was had come away, so about two thirds of the tooth was missing, and inside the tooth was exposed. I phoned the vet and managed to get an appointment for lunchtime. I was convinced she would need to have it taken out as it was basically just the root and a tiny bit of tooth left. The vet had a look at it, and also got his colleague to look for a second opinion (not sure why?) and they both agreed that they would leave the tooth in. They didn't think it was causing her pain - she's still eating (though I think she would anyway haha!) and they poked it I guess and she didn't seem bothered by it. They said that they pulp inside the tooth was exposed but probably not the nerve (as it wasn't painful) and that a layer of enamel would form over it and heal it. Or it would turn brown and die. If it turned brown then they would remove it because of risk of infection from a dead tooth, but other than that they would leave it in and I just have to keep an eye on it. (We go back in two weeks for her booster vaccinations anyway so will get that vet to check it again). I'm just wondering should I maybe have insisted they take it out? The vet said they would be hesitant to put her under anaesthetic and remove it for no good reason, but I can just see that in a few weeks time or whenever I think she will end up having to have it taken out anyway. Anyone have any experience with broken teeth?
Hi Lauren , sorry to read this, poor lass but it obviously isn't bothering her . Sam chipped the tip off a canine tooth about 8 months ago , I hadn't noticed it until the Vet mentioned it at a consultation for something else . We had it X rayed , a dental Vet also looked at it , Sam was not bothered by it at all, not fussed when it was touched on the tip and, not known for his bravery, I know he would have fussed if it had hurt him . The general consensus was to leave it be , for now with frequent checks to make sure that his gums are looking healthy . The tooth is very slightly discoloured but hasn't got any worse , sadly its not possible to carry out root canal , so we leave and observe with a mind to extract, should we need to .
I would really recommend getting it looked at by a proper dental specialist. Believe me - it is painful!!! If the dentine is exposed it is painful. If the pulp is exposed it is extremely painful. There is no possibility of enamel reforming over the tooth. The tooth will slowly die and an infection is almost guaranteed, followed by an abcess. Dogs will often not flinch when the tooth is touched but that is because they have evolved to be stoic about pain. Cats too. Under anaesthetic if you touch the tooth and record heart rate you would see that it spikes up (very reliable indicator of severe pain in animals). I have more experience of this than most because I've had a dog with a badly broken tooth (root canal required) and Obi has a condition (stemming from an illness as a puppy) that means that periodically enamel flakes off his teeth, exposing the dentine. This is painful and so the exposed bits need to be sealed (sealing also means the tooth won't become infected). In fact he has recently had another bit flake off and so we are off to Sydney to the veterinary dentist to have it fixed on the 23rd May. This will be our third trip. Our vet dentist spends a lot of her time educating ordinary vets about teeth, as most know very little.
Hi Lauren, sorry to hear about Penny's tooth problem. I've never had tooth problems with a dog so can't offer any advice but hope it is soon resolved for both of you.
Hi Lauren, nice to see you pop in! I don't have any experience other than waiting pensively for one of Brambles adult canines to make an appearance. Hope you get Penny's tooth sorted.
Hi Lauren. Great your back although not the reason why. I'd always go with my vets advice if it's a vet whose advice I trust. They've examined the tooth so know what's going on and your vet got a colleague as a second opinion. If your unsure then you could ask about seeing a specialist and explain your concerns when you go back.
Hmmm now I'm really unsure what to do.... The bet we saw was apparently the intern but he got his colleague (a fully qualified vet) to look for a second opinion and they both agreed they would leave it... Can I insist that they take it out? Thinking this might be easier in the long run than waiting for a referral to a dentist (and cheaper too as I'm not 100% tooth problems are covered on our insurance, but perhaps that's routine dentals rather than accidents like this)
I can't offer an opinion really but perhaps a suggestion that you check your insurance and what the actual costs of a referral might be before you make any important decisions. You never know it might not be as bad as you think. Good luck
@Penny+Me I was told that my insurance ( Tesco ) would cover any dental work caused by accident or infection, its just the routine dentals, cleaning etc . that aren't covered, might be worth you checking with yours
This is the funny part. In humans enamel cannot regrow. Once it's gone, it's gone forever. My Dentist is always telling me that to emphasize the importance of good dental hygiene. I did a quick google, maybe dogs are different but I could not find anything to say so. Maybe it's different for puppy teeth.
It's a bit of a deal to remove a large, deep rooted tooth like a canine. Such teeth provide structure and support to the jaw/skull. A specialist might be able to grind it down, root canal it and fill/cap it off. That'd be the kind of solution I'd be seeking a qualified, specialist opinion on. Have a read of this article which explains why fractures need attention and what some of the options are: http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/dental-corner-dental-fracture-treatment-options-dogs-and-cats
Our first Lab, Ginger, had a canine tooth that apparently died, and turned black, but it did not seem to bother her at all. The vet said just leave it alone as long as it doesn't cause problems. I don't recall when she did it, but she had it for a number of years. She made it to 16 and still had it.
In this case the tooth is broken, meaning that it hurts and there's an entry point for infection. I'll just repeat that it can seem like a tooth is not bothering an animal but that doesn't mean it's not bothering the animal. They are really good at faking it. If you think an equivalent injury would hurt you, then you can be sure that it's hurting your dog the same amount, even if they are much more stoic than you are about showing it.
Not to mention, is there not risk of serious infection with possible (no idea how remote) complications on the heart and blood? We are warned about that in people. Mind you, my 101 year old Aunt with the most awful mouth you'd ever want to see is still percolating.
Hi Lauren, hope Charlotte is doing well. Poor Penny that's horrible. I can only imagine that it is painful because if you have had toothache you know how painful that is and if it gets infected and causes an abcess that is torture. I had this happen and I was banging my head off the floor with the pain. If I were you I would definitely get this seen to because she may well just be putting up with the pain. I thought enamel did not grow back? xx
Just stopping by to say hi Lauren ,you popped into my head this week when I was walking :: sorry to hear about Penny.Im glad Rachael stopped by ,I always remember her writing that they find it painful even if they don't show it. Bet the little human one is keeping you busy,hope everyone is well x
