Restorative care for a broken tooth.

My dog loves bones. My dog loves to carry big sticks and rocks. I often give my pup antlers and marrow bones to clean his teeth. My dog loves chewing whatever she/he can.

( Cats are out of this crime hahaha )

Does it sound like you ? You're not alone. Chewing something much harder then pet's tooth will increase the chance of a tooth fracture. When you find a broken tooth, don't wait. There are many ways to save broken teeth without resorting to extraction. Here I introduce a case of a chip fracture which we could save with resin composite.

Introducing 3.5 yr old Schnauzer with a slap fracture. When he came for a dental consultation, I was amazed how diligently his owner brushes and checks his teeth. :-) Unfortunately his left big upper premolar was already gone from a fracture. Without an upper premolar, the lower premolar has more tartar accumulation as you can see.

Premolar is a major tooth for pets. This premolar is designed for breaking up and crushing hard food.

During examination, we could see his right premolar has extraordinary tartar.

As the surface is not smooth anymore without the enamel layer after the slap fracture, more and more calculus has accumulated even though the owner has been brushing his teeth diligently.

What we decided to do for this fellow is called Dental Filling/Bond treatment.

If you have chipped off just a small piece of tooth enamel, your dentist may repair the damage with a filling. It's the same idea for pets with non pulp exposed fracture ~ acute fracture without pulp infection.

To bond a tooth, Dr Christine Kim first etches its surface with a gel to roughen it and make the bonding material adhere to it. Next, Dr Kim applies an adhesive material to the tooth followed by a tooth colored resin. After shaping the bonding material to look like a natural tooth, Dr Kim uses an ultraviolet light to harden the material.

See how it's looking after composite treatment.

Dog dental filling treatment

When the enamel layer is fractured, pets will have increased pain, temperature and pressure sensitivity. It also increases chance of infection. It's not jus about cosmetic treatment but important dental care.

So, check your pet's teeth daily. If you find any fracture, don't wait too long. Waterfront Park Veterinary Clinic offers dental consultation and treatment to give your pet the best oral health care possible. This happy dog is doing so well after his dental treatment and enjoys snacks all the time from Dr Christine's hands.