Coquet Vet’s patient (© Coquet Vets)
We recently had a lovely male German shepherd come to us with a fractured canine tooth. Fractured teeth can be common for dogs and often occur because of trauma. This can be due to incidents such as road traffic accidents, falls, or chewing on hard objects like sticks and stones. The fractured tooth can result in a chip off the enamel or in more serious cases, the tooth is so fractured that the nerve is exposed to the outside. In this dog’s case, his nerve was unfortunately exposed, as shown in the images below.
Fractured teeth can be very painful and uncomfortable. When the enamel is chipped, the tooth becomes sensitive to heat, cold, and pressure. When the nerve is exposed, the tooth and its root can fill with infected material that can pass down to the jaw. The bacteria then have a secure place in the root and the body’s immune system struggles to clear the infection, even with antibiotics. The bacteria can also spread and cause tooth pain every time the dog chews.
Signs of a fractured tooth
Some signs of a fractured tooth include chewing on one side, dropping food out of the mouth, drooling, pawing at the mouth, facial swelling, and refusing to eat hard food. However, there may be no signs at all as dogs can be experts at hiding pain. This is one of the reasons why routine vet checks are so important.
Treatment options
There are a few courses of treatment to consider. If the nerve is exposed, either a root canal or extraction is best. If the nerve is not exposed, the tooth can be restored without root canal therapy
To prevent trauma to the teeth and ultimately fractures, you should remove any chews, treats, or toys that cannot be easily bent.
The German shepherd who came to us for treatment of his fractured tooth is recovering nicely at home, and we will luckily get to see him again at his post op check! He was a pleasure to look after.
If this article raises any concerns, or you suspect that your pet is suffering from a fractured tooth, please contact us at Coquet Vets on 01665 252 250.
