Feb 10, 2020
Most of your pet’s dental needs, such as annual cleanings, can be fulfilled by your family veterinarian; however, some dental problems require the care of a veterinary dentist. As your personal dentist may refer you to a specialist for complicated procedures or surgeries, your family veterinarian may refer your pet to our board-certified veterinary dentist and oral surgeon for specialty dental care.
Tooth fracture is one of the most common dental injuries that pets sustain, and when this occurs, the injured tooth must be extracted, or treated with root canal therapy. Extraction is acceptable if the affected tooth does not affect your pet’s everyday function, but root canal therapy is the better option if the tooth plays a key role in things such as chewing and eating. By performing a root canal, we can preserve your pet’s tooth so full function can be maintained long-term.
Your pet’s teeth are composed of three layers:
The outer layer of your pet’s teeth has no sensation, but if an injury reaches the pulp cavity, and even the dentin layer in some cases, the sensitive, exposed nerves can cause your pet significant pain.
Most pets 1 year of age and older who have a fractured tooth can be treated with root canal therapy. Pets under 1 year of age may require treatment with either vital pulp therapy or apexification depending on whether there is a fully formed apex (bottom of the root) at the time of fracture occurrence.
Fractured teeth may present in various forms, including:
Dental X-rays will be required to determine the damage extent, and to confirm that a root canal will be helpful. Occasionally, pets with a badly damaged tooth, or other concurrent dental problems, may not be a root-canal candidate, and require an extraction instead; for example, cats with feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions (FORLs) will need their affected teeth extracted.
Anesthesia is required for root canal therapy, so your pet will also need pre-anesthetic testing to confirm they are healthy enough for anesthesia.
During a root canal procedure, the pulp cavity is treated in several important steps, including:
Teeth treated with root canal therapy do not always need a crown, or cap. Exceptions include patients such as working dogs, whose teeth are subjected to high traumatic forces and who may require a metal crown to prevent tooth re-fracture, and pets who are avid chewers, who may also need a metal crown to prevent re-injury. Placement of a metal crown may also be useful in young dogs where the tooth layers are immature or fragile, as well as in other instances.
A root canal procedure allows us to save, rather than extract, a pet’s tooth, which preserves normal chewing function, prevents bone deterioration, and is more cosmetically pleasing. Root canal therapy is successful for the pet’s lifetime in more than 90% of cases. Re-injury is typically due to aggressive chewing, or chewing on inappropriate items, such as bones or rocks. To protect your pet’s teeth, provide only rubber chew toys that will not cause tooth fractures.
If your family veterinarian has referred your pet to our veterinary dentist for root canal therapy, or another advanced dentistry procedure, contact us.