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What do teeth and icebergs have in common?

3/5/2019

5 Comments

 
February was Pet Dental Health Month, so we're going to focus on those (hopefully) pearly whites today. Not so pearly or not so white? Probably time for a checkup and professional cleaning. Because even veterinarian's dogs get dental problems too, here's my Truffle's dental story from last month.
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These pictures were taken 2 weeks apart.

Can you spot the difference? 
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There is a new swelling on the left side of her face, underneath her left eye. Trace the jawline and it will become more clear (I'm sorry, she's a black fuzzy dog so photos aren't as obvious). The picture to the far right has the swelling outlined in red.
The most likely cause of a lumpy swelling on the face in dogs is an infected tooth. If the whole face is swelling or the eyes are swollen, think allergic reaction and seek treatment immediately. Unfortunately, tumors are also a possible cause, especially in older pets, so it's important to get a diagnosis quickly to address the problem.

After a week of antibiotics, Truffle's face was almost back to its normal shape. This made a tooth root infection the most likely reason, so we proceeded to dentistry to find the culprit.

This is what Truffle's teeth looked like once she was asleep. The orange tube goes into her airway and is connected to an anesthetic machine  giving her oxygen. It allows us to closely adjust how deeply she's asleep and even breathe for her if necessary, and is one of the many precautions we take to ensure safe anesthesia. 
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Notice how little tartar or disease is visible on this picture. But something is lurking beneath the surface...
Not too bad, right? But on probing carefully around each tooth, I found a pocket in the center of the largest upper molar. We took x-rays:
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​The red circles show where bone is missing due to infection. The green line is the gumline - only the lower part of the picture is actually visible to the naked eye. So that's why teeth are like icebergs - what you can see is only a small part of the whole tooth. And just like icebergs, the problems usually lurk under the surface.


​Notice how much root there is underneath the gum line! Truffle's bone should be bright white all the way around, but instead she has darker grey and black areas where the bone is missing.
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After the bad tooth was surgically removed, the gum was stitched back together to provide quickest healing time. Here is Truffle's mouth at the end of the procedure.
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A week after the dentistry, I let Truffle start chewing on rawhides and dental treats again. Her mouth is pain-free, and the swelling on the side of her face is much improved. She may never be exactly symmetric again, but now she has a chance to heal and the source of the infection is gone for good.

So here's the moral of the story - even teeth that look ok can hide some pretty nasty problems. Have your pets' teeth checked every time they visit the veterinarian, and follow up with an anesthetic dental cleaning if recommended. Scraping the teeth while your pet is awake will miss a problem like Truffle's every time.
5 Comments
Road Salt link
3/7/2019 12:17:10 am

Wonderful sharing. I have read out your many posts, all are wonderful. Thanks a lot for sharing your experience with us. keep sharing.

Reply
Dr. Krumanaker
3/14/2019 09:32:21 am

You're so welcome. Glad you find the blog informative! Dr. K

Reply
assignment help link
1/9/2020 11:35:28 am

What do teeth and icebergs have in common? The great techniques and topics for professional cleaning. The more information on assignment writing services and developing the interesting tips.

Reply
Dr Singh link
11/16/2021 09:42:48 am



There are many considerations when you’re looking for the right dentist, the compatibility, friendly staff, and even a friendly environment. As for me, the dentist I preferred is friendly because I believe that the friendly the dentist the more comfortable you are when you visit them.

Reply
Zoe link
10/18/2022 05:16:22 am

What an exquisite article! Your post is very helpful right now. Thank you for sharing this informative one.

Reply



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