[jesmagmisty]

Jesse, who is almost 10 years old broke a canine tooth on his nylabone. Our regular vet wants him to see a specialist so we have an appointment Tuesday morning. Of course I'm worried about anesthesia at his age. They said nothing will be done on the first visit except an exam and bloodwork and urine samples taken to make sure he can have anesthesia. If it ends up he needs it pulled, does it affect them very much (healthwise)? He's been a very healthy boy. He is the best dog and just makes our lives happier with his great personality and loving manner.
If you have experienced teeth issues, I'd love to hear your experiences, good or bad.
Thanks!
Robbie

 

[dd]

My boy broke two teeth on a bone a couple of years ago. We considered restoration work, but the cost was prohibitive and the specialist told us it could break again at any time, so we had both teeth pulled. The only issue we have had is that the remaining facing teeth on each side have no friction and so tend to accumulate more tartar. Even extra brushing has not helped with that. He manages fine, just eats some things more slowly and occasionally gets biscuits stuck in the gap.

Hope your boy will do well.

 

[3K9Mom]

Upper or lower canine tooth?

 

[JKlatsky]

Oh no! I'm so sorry Robbie!

I would ask Debby on Sunday, I think Bella had a tooth issue, and since she's at the Vet school she'll probably have seen other cases like that and know what they usually say.

I know I've heard about dogs that ended up with replacements, but those were usually biting dogs who needed the teeth. I've seen little dogs missing so many teeth they almost have no jaw, and they eat softened kibble and otherwise seem to be just fine.

Please keep us updated! I hope everything works out.

 

[3K9Mom]

Regarding assurances, Zamboni (my 15 year old) has had two RCTs (root canals) one of them led to an extraction later on. Plus an additional extraction. She lost the big chewing molars (the top ones) which are pretty important in the whole scheme of things. She has soft teeth, and I used to let her eat beef bones when I was young and naive.

She does just fine. I watch her eat, and I break big snacks (like Merrick lamb fillets) into bite size pieces. Sometimes, a small bit of kibble goes down without being amply chewed and she coughs it up. (This sounds worse than it is). But she still chews rawhides and is always looking to snag the younger dogs' bones. I brush her teeth, and my vet (who is a dentist) says everything looks great. So yeah, it's do-able.

I don't even think about it, really, other than keeping an eye on her during dinner, which I do with my raw-fed dog anyhow. And I know she isn't bothered by it at all. She just eats, happily.

 

[Betty]

Doc had a tooth pulled not too long ago with no ill effects at all Robbie. I was a bit worried about it because the damage to the tooth actualy came from something penetrating the gum and an infection had set in.

 

[arycrest]

When Honey was 9 or 10 I had to take her up to the U of FL dental specialist because she had a broken upper fang. The specialist reviewed her records and recommended that I have the fang pulled instead of getting her a root canal. She had the surgery and did fine. She's 13 now and has never had a problem with the missing tooth.

 

[jesmagmisty]

Thanks everyone. It is his upper canine. It is not broken to the gum. Just sort of splintered off the very tip and along the side.I soak my dogs Canidae anyhow so being hard to chew food probably wouldn't be a problem but he LOVES to chew his nylabone every evening right after he eats supper. He grabs a bone and heads to my bed while I am watching TV.
Katie, I will talk to Debby Sunday at class. I'm not sure why my dr. didn't recommend U of FL. I'd rather go there than Jacksonville.
Thanks Betty, I'm glad Doc is ok.
I am thankful it is a canine instead of molars. I'm glad everyone's dogs have been fine after having root canals and teeth pulled.
Thanks,
Robbie

 

[JenM66]

Nope, no biggie. You can get a cap made if you so choose. We do a lot of dentals where I work. As long as the presurgical blood work comes back okay you should be fine. I'd also ask about 'cardiopet' - it's like a human EKG - another check we do on seniors before anesthesia. Good luck

 

[wolfstraum]

Kyra had a canine broken at about 9 months, and I did have a cap done. At 9+ it is still there, did 7 years of regular bitework with that cap too! With an older dog who is not doing bitework, I would think that a cap is not necessary - it is not a growing tooth that needs to be protected. If necessary, a simple extraction should not be a big deal. Really, I think the risks of anesthesia are not as high as many cite, I know that in my friends equine clinic, in 15 years of near daily surgery, only 2 times did they loose an animal under anesthesia.

Lee

 

[fourdogsrule]

I have a 1 yr old that does not have any side teeth on either side and on the top & bottom. He had his baby teeth, but when he lost them no permenant teeth came in. No teeth there, so he eats small bites food and does just fine. The vet is not to concerned since he is eating just fine and at a good weight. He also has kidney failure and is only expected to live to the age of 1 1/2 to 2 yrs.. So you might say he is spoiled rotten, just like the other GSD's I have.

 

[Smithie86]

I would look for a canine vet, certified through AVDC.

Too many vets claim, as with xrays for OFA, that they do dental work (including extensive).

Even with an older dog, I would do that.

I dealt with Baer breaking canines. He ended up being worked on by Peter Emily, who is one of the top dental vets (we were lucky, close friend was the vet I went to in Cinci). His procedures ended up being part of Peter's presentations

http://www.avdc.org/

 

[3K9Mom]

I wouldn't let a regular vet do a molar extraction. I would definitely not let a regular vet extract a cuspid (canine tooth). Those roots go deep into the jaw and extraction by someone who doesn't know what they're doing can cause major problems (fracture of the jaw, for starters).

If this is a case where the dentist says you can go either way, root canal vs. extraction, I'd go for the root canal with a cap, even though, yes, the RCT may fail down the road. I'd be more inclined to seek a second opinion (from another dentist) on a cuspid than I would on a molar. There are just more risks involved with a cuspid extraction. If the tooth can be saved, I'd go that route, unless there's no way it can be. It's not just about the tooth itself (a dog that does/does not do bitework or whether a dog can easily munch on kibble). It's about the whole tooth structure.

Some teeth are just harder to remove. Fortunately, though, upper canines are easier to remove than lowers. So that helps.

JMO

 

[majitrix]

Originally Posted By: WolfstraumKyra had a canine broken at about 9 months, and I did have a cap done. At 9+ it is still there, did 7 years of regular bitework with that cap too! With an older dog who is not doing bitework, I would think that a cap is not necessary - it is not a growing tooth that needs to be protected. If necessary, a simple extraction should not be a big deal. Really, I think the risks of anesthesia are not as high as many cite, I know that in my friends equine clinic, in 15 years of near daily surgery, only 2 times did they loose an animal under anesthesia.

Lee

What kind of a cap did you get? Just a vital pulpotomy where they fill over the break or did you have it reconstructed with a crown? I have been reading that they use titanium crowns for dogs that do bite work but so far I think I have only read of them doing it for broken canines.
My 9 month old broke a top front tooth next to his canine over the weekend and we have an appointment tomorrow with a specialist (vet dentist). He is my sch dog so I am thinking maybe I should get it reconstructed.

Thanks

 

[M&J]

Rudy had his lower canine pulled yesterday. His upper canine had a chip in it last year and they smoothed it down and sealed it. He has a dental disease so he is always having a tooth pulled, sealed, or filed.
Good luck!

 

[jesmagmisty]

We have to reschedule Jesse due to me being ill. So now I still have to wait. Thank you for all of your replies. Jesse is having blood work done before anything else.
Robbie

 

[LisaT]

Our boy broke a tooth (top canine), and it wasn't infected, seemed to cause no pain, so we left it, at the vet's advise. Recently, I had them pull it when he was having a dental done, and the root was all mottled, and it could have been causing some of the health problems that he has been having.

If possible, I would recommend having it pulled.

 

[LisaT]

Originally Posted By: FourDogsRuleI have a 1 yr old that does not have any side teeth on either side and on the top & bottom. He had his baby teeth, but when he lost them no permenant teeth came in. No teeth there, so he eats small bites food and does just fine. The vet is not to concerned since he is eating just fine and at a good weight. He also has kidney failure and is only expected to live to the age of 1 1/2 to 2 yrs.. So you might say he is spoiled rotten, just like the other GSD's I have.

Wow, give that boy extra ear scritches from me.

 

[LuvsDieter]

Dieter came to us with many tooth issues. One of his bottom canines was just sheared in half, with the root exposed, and most of this other front teeth were in serious need of help. I waffled back and forth about what to do because he didn't seem to be in any pain and it was dang expensive for doggie dental work.

Finally, we switched to a new vet and she did the surgery with no issues. I was most worried about the canine extraction because the canine root makes up such a large park of the jawbone. But, it's been over a year now and no adverse effects. Dieter loves to chew and tug now and has no issues chewing. Honestly, he was trying to chew on bones the day after surgery! We didn't think he would go for them, but had to end up putting them all away for like a month.

Best part - when BF and I picked D up from the vet that afternoon, the receptionist looked at us with these huge eyes when we told her we were Dieter's owners. She grabbed a folded paper towel from her desk and said that if we didn't want D's tooth, that she was totally going to punch a hole in it and wear it (I think she was kidding....). I love showing guests D's tooth (gross, I know) while they are rubbing his belly and scratching behind his ears. Kinda awe-inspiring and a little sad because you can see the little hole where the root was exposed.

This is really old one where you can see his bad canine:

Check out his bottom jaw (after surgery and healing...I think):

 

[jesmagmisty]

Thanks everyone. I can't even tell on Dieter that he's had a tooth pulled and Jesse's is on the top so I figured we really wouldn't notice it.
Robbie