Jordan Windebank Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Hi all. My darling little 12 week Bernese has somehow managed to break one of his top front "fangy" type teeth last night. He had a bit of blood on his mouth but doesn't seem to be in any discomfort and is eating ok. The tooth has snapped off almost at the gum. As it is a baby tooth, is this something I need to be concerned about? Appreciate any advice. In the meantime I'm trying to work out how he did it. If only dogs could talk. *sigh* Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumabaar Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Hi all. My darling little 12 week Bernese has somehow managed to break one of his top front "fangy" type teeth last night. He had a bit of blood on his mouth but doesn't seem to be in any discomfort and is eating ok. The tooth has snapped off almost at the gum. As it is a baby tooth, is this something I need to be concerned about? Appreciate any advice. In the meantime I'm trying to work out how he did it. If only dogs could talk. *sigh* Thanks! I needs to come out- but probably needs someone experienced. Here is the link to my experience http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/222581-fractured-tooth/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 A specialist surgeon cut my pups 2 canines out as once they break they often form abscesses. Problem is the big teeth are often very close behind the baby ones in the gum so thy have to be careful to not damage them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fordogs Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 JMO I would tend to leave the tooth alone unless the gum or the jaw becomes swollen or inflamed. I have had the same thing happen to me a few times and only once did my vet remove the tooth, that was after an abscess formed because the tooth had split right through the middle into the gum letting infection down to the gum. It can happen so easily with babies. Just keep an eye on him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumabaar Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 JMO I would tend to leave the tooth alone unless the gum or the jaw becomes swollen or inflamed. I have had the same thing happen to me a few times and only once did my vet remove the tooth, that was after an abscess formed because the tooth had split right through the middle into the gum letting infection down to the gum. It can happen so easily with babies. Just keep an eye on him. Thats actually rather cruel. Talk to someone who has broken a tooth and ask how much pain they were in..... Why is it because your dog can't tell you it has a headache that its ok to leave them in pain because that is what you are doing when you don't get dental care when a dog breaks a tooth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Maybe that would be for the Vet + Owner to determine? (genuine question mark). I've had a broken tooth and it was not painful. I too thought "why do surgery if there isn't going to be a problem?" and was in the mind-set of let it be, keep an eye on it. But admittedly, I'm no expert in this respect, so it is just my unprofessional thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumabaar Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 (edited) Maybe that would be for the Vet + Owner to determine? (genuine question mark). I've had a broken tooth and it was not painful. I too thought "why do surgery if there isn't going to be a problem?" and was in the mind-set of let it be, keep an eye on it. But admittedly, I'm no expert in this respect, so it is just my unprofessional thoughts. I can only go on what the specialist (in training) told me, And what I have been studying. Most general practice vets will recommend leaving them because they don't have the skills to take them out, and because dentistry really hasn't been addressed in their training. Its something to talk about with a specialist, not their general vet. All the veterinary dentists I have spoken to about this topic have indicated that removal is necessary- so I am just passing on the experts opinion..... (I was told they would fail me in their subject if I didn't take my pup in for the surgery ) I guess I am recommending best practice because its what I would do with my dogs. I did end up seeing the difference after my pup had her fractured tooth removed- she had lost her spark but it was not apparent till she had it back. I am glad I didn't just leave it because she has a perfect canine and she was not in pain for any longer than I could help it. Edited February 16, 2012 by Jumabaar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 That's fair enough Jumabaar. You would know more than I on the topic as it is certainly not one in which I have studied. I understand the puppy teeth root is quite shallow and that any surgery has to be careful about damaging the canine that is directly underneath it .... that would be my concern as I'd expect damage to the adult one would likely be permanent. But that would probably be the reason you would suggest a dental specialist attend to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fordogs Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I would prefer for a baby NOT to have an anesthetic unless it was absolutely necessary and the first time it happened to a puppy of mine I rushed him off to the vet who said that he was fine, no reason to remove the tooth and yes he was. Yes I have also had a broken tooth and not had any pain (just as well often cannot get a dentist appointment for a couple of weeks). The ultimate decisions is yours to make :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarLapyz Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Don't trust your ordinary vet with your dogs teeth, go see a specialist veterinary dentist. You don't go see your GP about a tooth issue, you go see a Dentist, DO the same things with your dog. They will recommend what to do, but taking them out was pretty quick when we had ours done and it wasn't particularly expensive. When not taking it out runs the risk of leaving the puppy in pain and permanently damaging the adult teeth it seems a no brainer to remove it to me. I recommend you go see Christine Hawke at ARH, she is a specialist and is just generally awesome. http://www.arhvets.com/pet-owners/9-dentistry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumabaar Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 (edited) OT- how do you people manage to break teeth and not have pain?!?!! I must be soooo unlucky with my teeth! ETA- I did consider the GA necessary because I do know the pain a sore tooth can cause. All I can suggest is talking to a vet who really does know a fair amount about teeth and done their own research on it. Edited February 16, 2012 by Jumabaar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 As all puppies shed their baby teeth I would not be doing anything till it caused a problem. I have had many babies break their teeth off with no problems what so ever. The new tooth usually appears when the time is right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumabaar Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 (edited) sigh Edited February 16, 2012 by Jumabaar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumabaar Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 (edited) http://www.veterinarydentalcenter.com/pediatric.htm Primary teeth are long and thin teeth. A fractured deciduous tooth is painful and quickly becomes infected. This infection will cause a draining tract (blue arrow), osteomyelitis, or damage to the permanent tooth. Treatment for any fractured primary tooth with pulp exposure is immediate and careful extraction. Pre-extraction x-rays are essential to identify the location of the permanent tooth. (picture of what to look for if you decide not to do anything) http://www.veterinarydentalcenter.com/open-extraction.htm Primary (deciduous) teeth are long, thin walled, and relatively fragile compared to their permanent counterparts. Puppy behavior can cause wear or fracture that could expose the pulp. The pulp is the soft tissue found inside the tooth and consists of blood vessels and nerves. An open pulp chamber is exposed to oral bacteria, mulch, dirt, and a variety of elements that puppies will chew on. This is initially painful but over time the pulp dies and the pain subsides. Next, the infection will extend through the root tip to the surrounding periodontal tissue.Therefore, a fractured deciduous tooth with pulp exposure requires extraction therapy as soon as possible. The wait and see approach in the 3-5 month old puppy may result in a draining fistula, osteomyelitis, or damage to the developing permanent teeth. A dental radiograph is helpful to determine the position of the permanent tooth as well as the extent of the fracture (longitudinal root fractures do occur). The goal is to extract the tooth and entire root without causing damage to the developing permanent tooth. This maybe accomplished by a closed or open technique. The photos to the left demonstrate an open technique. A full thickness mucoperiosteal flap is made to allow access to the buccal bone overlying the primary tooth. Removal of buccal bone aids in the extraction of teeth fractured near the gum line or with root fractures. A # 2 or #4 round bur is used to gently remove bone. A dental luxator (Cislak Manufactuing- LT/2S) is inserted into the periodontal ligament space in multiple locations to apply pressure for 20-30 seconds. Once the tooth is quite mobile delicate extraction forceps maybe used to remove the tooth. This procedure may be performed on retained primary teeth when the permanent tooth is present and one is concerned over the risk of primary tooth fracture. http://www.mypetsdentist.com/site/view/113061_brokenteeth.pml Fractured teeth hurt!The anatomy, physiology and nervous system of our companion animals is incredibly similar to our own. It is only logical to assume animals experience pain from fractured teeth as we do. The degree of pain is related to the extent and the duration of the fracture. If the pulp is exposed from an injury such as being hit from a baseball bat or golf club, there is immediate and excruciating pain. Many times we fail to notice our pets have had fractured teeth. As the tooth becomes infected through the fracture site, it may die and become non-painful. If the infection spreads to the alveolar bone supporting the tooth, pain often returns. The bone and local soft tissues may become infected and eventually abscess. The abscess may result in an intraoral swelling (inside the mouth) or an extraoral facial swelling (outside the mouth) and eventually become a draining track. Swollen faces are tremendously painful in our experience with patients. We also notice that the pain is reduced when the abscess "bursts" and drains. These draining tracks may form intraorally (within the mouth) or extraorally. Treatment of fractured teeth eliminates the pain. Treatment also eliminates the swellings and draining tracks that sometimes develop. This primary (baby) tooth was fractured. The secondary (adult) toothwas expected to erupt within six weeks. A decision was made to wait for the secondary tooth to erupt. The primary and secondary teeth were infected and both required surgical extraction. Dental radiographs are essential for making correct treatment decions. (Picture of this down the bottom of the page in the link) http://www.dentistvet.com/tooth-breaks-and-fractures.html If the tooth that is fractured is a deciduous (baby) tooth, it should be extracted as soon as possible with extreme care to avoid damage to the developing adult tooth. Waiting for the damaged deciduous tooth to exfoliate on its own is risky because infection could spread to the unerupted developing adult tooth. Edited February 16, 2012 by Jumabaar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 (edited) As all puppies shed their baby teeth I would not be doing anything till it caused a problem. I have had many babies break their teeth off with no problems what so ever. The new tooth usually appears when the time is right. The problem comes in that some dead teeth dont fall out, basically my pup wrecked his teeth so bad that they couldnt fall out. I too left them but then he got abscesses on both sides so if any of my dogs ever breaks a tooth again they will be taken out Edited February 16, 2012 by Mason_Gibbs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan Windebank Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 Thank you all for the feedback, it has been very helpful. I spoke with my local VET today who advised to keep a very close eye on the gum and the leftover tooth and if there was any sign of inflammation or soreness to get him straight in there as they have a dentist available. He saw Fletcher on Tuesday and had commented then that his baby teeth look almost ready to come out anyway so has advised waiting and watching. I will also seek the second opinion of a specialist tomorrow. Can anyone please recommend anywhere in Melbourne, preferably Western suburbs, that I should speak to? Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumabaar Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Thank you all for the feedback, it has been very helpful. I spoke with my local VET today who advised to keep a very close eye on the gum and the leftover tooth and if there was any sign of inflammation or soreness to get him straight in there as they have a dentist available. He saw Fletcher on Tuesday and had commented then that his baby teeth look almost ready to come out anyway so has advised waiting and watching. I will also seek the second opinion of a specialist tomorrow. Can anyone please recommend anywhere in Melbourne, preferably Western suburbs, that I should speak to? Thanks again. Christine (Agentvee linked to her website earlier in the thread) would be able to recommend someone to you. Her phone number is on the website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 As all puppies shed their baby teeth I would not be doing anything till it caused a problem. I have had many babies break their teeth off with no problems what so ever. The new tooth usually appears when the time is right. The problem comes in that some dead teeth dont fall out, basically my pup wrecked his teeth so bad that they couldnt fall out. I too left them but then he got abscesses on both sides so if any of my dogs ever breaks a tooth again they will be taken out Yes that can happen. But if the tooth is removed to soon the permanent teeth can come into position crookedly. The baby teeth are there to guide the permanent teeth into position. If you wish to show your dog and the teeth have come down in an incorrect position you may find it more difficult to win with a dog with incorrect dentition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 As all puppies shed their baby teeth I would not be doing anything till it caused a problem. I have had many babies break their teeth off with no problems what so ever. The new tooth usually appears when the time is right. The problem comes in that some dead teeth dont fall out, basically my pup wrecked his teeth so bad that they couldnt fall out. I too left them but then he got abscesses on both sides so if any of my dogs ever breaks a tooth again they will be taken out Yes that can happen. But if the tooth is removed to soon the permanent teeth can come into position crookedly. The baby teeth are there to guide the permanent teeth into position. If you wish to show your dog and the teeth have come down in an incorrect position you may find it more difficult to win with a dog with incorrect dentition. It can also do the opposite, my pups brother had his adult tooth growing out crooked from a retained deciduous tooth and it also had to be removed. He is a show dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 As all puppies shed their baby teeth I would not be doing anything till it caused a problem. I have had many babies break their teeth off with no problems what so ever. The new tooth usually appears when the time is right. agreed check the mouth a couple of times a day. The Stafford pups frequently break theirs and I've had no issues over the years with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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