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Maggie needs happy teeth vibes!


MaggieDog
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We just got back from a veterinary dentist appointment - this time next week Maggie will be going in for a tooth repair and possible root canal (she'll feel better, my pocket book won't :rolleyes: ).

 

About a month ago I noticed that she had a cracked tooth. A visit to our old vet in Indiana (I was home for my wedding) confirmed she had a broken tooth, but the vet said to wait and see and take her to our current vet if we saw signs of infection.

 

10 days ago I noticed her breath worsening and some yucky inflammation around the tooth (upper left carnassial molar - biggest tooth in her mouth), so we went to our vet in NC. Confirmed that the tooth would need some work, but she admitted that if it was more extensive than she was able to address w/o complete removal we might be better off visiting the vet dentist my friend recommended.

 

Today we had our consult with the vet dentist. He is an odd bird, but friendly and knows his stuff. He explained that without xrays he doesn't know exactly what he'll need to do; it could be as simple as removing part of the tooth that's broken and sealing it with dental composite material or as extensive as a 3-root root canal. Total removal is also an option but one that would leave her eating soft foods and with a strict tooth brushing protocol and periodic dentals for the rest of her life (ick). No matter what's going on with her tooth, something needs to be done ASAP.

 

We set the appointment for next Monday - she'll go in for xrays, he'll consult with me, and we'll likely proceed directly into surgery from there. I'm hoping we can do a general dental at the same time since she's 9 and hasn't had one for 5 years - might as well get my money's worth at this point.

 

So send Maggie "healthy teeth" vibes so all she needs is a cleaning and minor repair/sealing!!!

 

(And let this be a lesson to you if your dog breaks a tooth - don't just wait and see, get thee to a dental specialist ASAP)

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Today we had our consult with the vet dentist. He is an odd bird, but friendly and knows his stuff. He explained that without xrays he doesn't know exactly what he'll need to do; it could be as simple as removing part of the tooth that's broken and sealing it with dental composite material or as extensive as a 3-root root canal. Total removal is also an option but one that would leave her eating soft foods and with a strict tooth brushing protocol and periodic dentals for the rest of her life (ick). No matter what's going on with her tooth, something needs to be done ASAP.

 

I don't understand the soft food thing. My Gael had both of those big upper teeth removed due to abscesses on both sides, and she eats raw bones and all kinds of stuff with no problem. My old Belle had both of the biggest lower teeth taken out, along a couple of others, and she never needed soft food either. Is Maggie missing a bunch of teeth or something? Just curious. Having those big teeth out wasn't cheap but i bet it was cheaper than root canals.

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Were they the carnassials? The way it was explained to me was that they are so imperative to chewing that you can lose almost any other tooth without problems, but that without the carnassial(s) chewing is much more difficult (and without the top tooth to work at build up on the bottom one, brushing is a must).

 

Who knows, I've heard a ton of different things about teeth recently. And interestingly enough the root canal is only about $150 more than a full removal.

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I wonder if dog dentists are just as hard core about keeping teeth as opposed to pulling, as our human dentists.

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"only" $150 more? Yipes!

 

Do they need to put crowns on canine root canals?

 

I don't have any experience with teeth issues--Taz did knock out a tooth when he was younger but it was a front bottom one and he doesn't seem to have suffered any ill effects (we did go to the vet at the time, of course, just to be sure). But I am sending mad vibes that Maggie will require an easy, pain-free, and inexpensive fix :rolleyes:

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Were they the carnassials? The way it was explained to me was that they are so imperative to chewing that you can lose almost any other tooth without problems, but that without the carnassial(s) chewing is much more difficult (and without the top tooth to work at build up on the bottom one, brushing is a must).

 

Who knows, I've heard a ton of different things about teeth recently. And interestingly enough the root canal is only about $150 more than a full removal.

 

Gael has both of the biggest top ones gone, Belle had both of the biggest bottom ones gone, don't know the proper tooth names. Yes, the teeth look ickier without an opposing one to work against, but i don't brush them though maybe i should. They can eat anything anyone else can, no problem. Belle was chewing a rawhide the same day one of hers was removed.

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