Broken or Fractured Teeth
Pets with broken or fractured teeth are an extremely common presentation for veterinarians. We see at least one case daily and several weekly. The large premolar and molar teeth are typicaly injured from chewing hard objects. The canine (fang) and incisor teeth are frequently fractured from trauma. In cats, it is particularly common to see fractured upper canine teeth. For cats in general, the canine teeth are most likely to fracture from facial trauma while fractures from chewing objects is uncommon.Teeth are fractured from chewing hard objects from major trauma and from less obvious trauma such as pets fighting or playing. The extent of the fracture helps to determine a rational treatment plan. It is important to establish an accurate diagnosis prior to deciding on the best treatment for fractured teeth. Dental radiographs are essential to evaluate the teeth.
This is a non-vital fractured tooth. It was completely covered by calculus. The
owner insisted the pet was "pain free" and without behavior changes until after
root canal therapy was performed. The owner was shocked to see a dramatic improvement in behavior after treatment.
Do fractured teeth hurt?
Fractured teeth hurt!
The anatomy, physiology and nervous system of our companion animals is incredibly similar to our own. It is only logical to assume animals experience pain from fractured teeth as we do. The degree of pain is related to the extent and the duration of the fracture. If the pulp is exposed from an injury such as being hit from a baseball bat or golf club, there is immediate and excruciating pain. Many times we fail to notice our pets have had fractured teeth. As the tooth becomes infected through the fracture site, it may die and become non-painful. If the infection spreads to the alveolar bone supporting the tooth, pain often returns. The bone and local soft tissues may become infected and eventually abscess. The abscess may result in an intraoral swelling (inside the mouth) or an extraoral facial swelling (outside the mouth) and eventually become a draining track. Swollen faces are tremendously painful in our experience with patients. We also notice that the pain is reduced when the abscess "bursts" and drains. These draining tracks may form intraorally (within the mouth) or extraorally.Treatment of fractured teeth eliminates the pain. Treatment also eliminates the swellings and draining tracks that sometimes develop.Our experience has consistently been that pet owners are very surprised on how dramatic the improvement in their pets' behaviors are, abruptly after treatment has been provided. Many of these owners did not realize how painful their pets were until after we have provided treatment.
