Unusual Dental Case

As many of you know, I have a particular interest in veterinary dentistry. I enjoy attending lectures, reading on the subject and going to hands on training seminars. Recently, I had a case that up until now I have only read about. Bella is a 6 month female Shih-tzu cross that came in for an ovariohysterectomy (spay). I had already prepared Bella's owner that small breed dogs are genetically predisposed to a variety of dental abnormalities and that I would take a closer look when she was under anesthesia. With digital x rays we found some missing teeth, retained primary (baby) teeth and 3 impacted teeth. I've attached an image of an impacted molar. You can see how the tooth is positioned in a horizontal plane. I called the owner to discuss the challenges involved in extracting this tooth and then went to work to get it out. This case was a great example how dental x rays are vital in the proper diagnosis of dental health issues.

Dr Mike Fussell