My senior dog broke a canine tooth, pulp showing. Should it be pulled?

Hello, thank you for your question about Toby. Based on the photos that you have provided I would be concerned that Toby may need to have this tooth removed. A large portion of the tooth is visible, suggestive of recession of the gum (which is common with severe dental disease). I would also be slightly concerned that the gum may be lifted away from the tooth leading to food/bacteria build up under the gum line. To evaluate fully if this tooth should be removed a veterinarian would need to perform an oral examination. They can then discuss if an additional dental procedure is needed. Hope this helps, good luck!

Hello and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It does look as though the pulp cavity is exposed, which commonly happens with fractures like this. If the pulp cavity is open, the root is exposed, which is very painful and increases the risk that the tooth will get infected. I would recommend taking Sky to your veterinarian to confirm if the pulp cavity is exposed and extract the tooth if it is.

Hi there. This is a very good question. Based on the photo, this type of tooth fracture is usually referred to as a "slab fracture". Dogs often get these from chewing on hard objects like bones or rocks. Although I can't see too well on the picture, I would be concerned about the pulp cavity being exposed. This is the area that runs throughout the length of the tooth carrying blood supply and nutrients to the tooth. If exposed, there is a greater likelihood that the tooth can become infected and decay quite rapidly. It can also cause pain in the mouth. Freddie's veterinarian can check with a dental probe to see if the pulp cavity is exposed. Sometimes this can be done while the dog is awake, but sometimes it has to be done under sedation or anesthesia. If Freddie has a bit of tartar, you can just schedule a teeth cleaning and his vet can check it out then. If the pulp cavity is exposed, extracting the tooth is recommended to avoid infection and pain. Once Freddie's tooth is removed, he probably won't miss it. A soften diet and no chew toys for a couple of weeks and he'd be good to go. I hope you find this answer helpful. Best of luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. So this is a “complicated” fracture of the canine- meaning the pulp cavity is exposed. Unfortunately, if Titus walked into my office, I’d recommend scheduling a dental and removing the tooth. Once the pulp cavity is exposed, bacteria can travel up it and cause a deep abscess in the bone. Then you have weeks of antibiotics and still have to do the procedure. This does not always happen, but there is no way to know which case it will happen to. The other option is seeing a dental specialist for a root canal and crown. That being said, it’s not very painful unless he is chewing with it (which he’ll probably avoid). And not much is going to happen in the next two days, or even in the next two months. Don’t put anything on there and just leave it alone. Schedule an appointment when it’s convenient and talk with your vet about your options. Also talk about why he is chewing his crate (often a sign of moderate to severe separation anxiety). And how to prevent future damage to other teeth. Best wishes to you and Titus!

Thank you for including the pictures. I agree that the pulp is exposed. The most cost effective plan is usually extraction of the tooth. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. He may need some pain medication until the procedure is scheduled. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

I’m sorry to hear about the tooth loss. It sounds like you are trying hard to maintain good oral health and you should continue this. Definitely try to brush the teeth every day, even twice a day if possible. Pet tooth paste helps but the main benefit is the physical brushing. They also make dental diets which can improve oral health. Some pets also go on pulse therapy antibiotics to help control bacterial populations in the mouth. Unfortunately despite best efforts, dental disease can progress resulting in a he tooth loss. A fair amount of dental disease is found under the gumline and so it is hard to address without a proper dental cleaning. You may ask your veterinarian if there is an option to have you pup cared for by a specialist who may be able to preform a dental cleaning. If this is an option. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It sounds like there are some anesthetic concerns and that your vet does not feel comfortable removing the incisors. You may want to ask about referral to a veterinary dentist if available in your area. Ideally Frodo should also have an echocardiogram performed by a cardiologist first to determine the extent of his heart disease and assess his risk under anesthesia. This website lists board certified dentists but there may also be a veterinarian in your area who limits practice to dentistry. https://www.avdc.org