Lance teeth

I promised a couple of blogs ago to tell you about a neuter that was a little different. As per usual, a full physical exam is done prior to surgery. PJ, one of my AHTs, called me over to see the Sheltie’s mouth. He had what is commonly known as lance teeth. This is a hereditary problem whereby the adult upper canines grow straight forward. The green lines show where the tooth should be positioned.

The main issue is periodontal infection. Remember that the tooth has enamel. Enamel does not attach to the gum so this creates a huge pocket that becomes a great place for plaque and bacteria to take over. Periodontitis (infection and inflammation of the periodontal ligament) affects the local area as well of being a source of bacteria for the rest of the body.

So, how to fix the problem? There are two options. One is to refer to the dental specialist who can basically apply braces so he can have a normal mouth. The other is to remove the lance teeth. Due to financial and time constraints (Robby would need to see the specialist every two weeks until the problem was resolved), the owners and I elected to go forward with tooth extraction.

After taking radiographs (too make sure there were no other surprises), I elevated the gingival flap. I will admit I was surprised to see how much of the tooth was exposed without any bone over it. (The blue line shows where the gum line was.) I really took my time elevating the teeth cause I didn’t want to send the roots into the nasal canal. I was so glad I did. I could actually see the nasal turbinates through the bone. You can be assured the gingival flap was closed very carefully.