This dog was sent as a referral for possible trauma to the upper canine tooth 204. As you can see in the photo, there is a crack in the tartar and possibly associated trauma to the tooth, which the owner thinks occurred a few months ago. The referring clinic did not have a dental x-ray machine. The dog was a collie and had a nervous temperament and did not like it’s mouth being touched, making it impossible to examine the mouth safely in the consultation other than just cautiously lifting the side lip to view the canine. The dog was otherwise well and eating, bright alert and happy.

In a case like this, and especially if the dog is insured, it is very important that the initial veterinarian write in the clinical notes that a differential diagnosis is trauma as this may affect a insurance claim.

The dog was then admitted (pre op bloods were normal) and given a general anaesthetic. Once it was asleep the mouth could be examined properly, the teeth descaled and dental x-rays taken.

You can see that once the tartar was removed by ultrasonic descaling that the canine tooth is actually fine and has no trauma to it. The dental x-ray showed no abnormalities.

However, the upper left incisor (tooth 202) has a shortened crown, is discoloured (it has a black centre and the pulp is necrotic), and actually has a fracture extending longitudinally towards the root. The owner was phoned for permission for extraction as we had not discussed the treatment of this tooth in the consultation. Permission was given over the phone and the tooth was extracted. Full mouth dental x-rays were performed to check for any other trauma to the mouth.

This case is a good example of the importance of admitting animals and giving them a full general anaesthetic to examine the mouth properly. This is particularly important for cases involving possible trauma and definitely if the animal resents the mouth being touched and is nervous or aggressive as often these animals are the ones with fractured teeth and sore mouths.