Dentistry

Dogs and cats are prone to dental problems due mostly to their diet. Dogs in particular will sometimes break a tooth when biting a bone or a stone or after a road traffic accident. Up to now the fractured tooth would have required extraction as the nerve canal would have been compromised and the risks of infection occurring in the tooth or an abscess developing at the apex of the root would be very high. Losing the canine teeth affects the animals ability to grab. And losing the molars affects the animal’s ability to chew.

Animals use their molars or back teeth to chew, just like humans. If they don’t have molars then chewing will be uncomfortable. Now most of these teeth can now be saved by treating and filling the root canal. This sterilizes and seals the canal. It requires dental x-ray plates before the procedure to check that the root itself is not fractured or to check for any infection or abscess.

The procedure involves cleaning the canal with special files and then with dental bleach and alcohol. When this is finished the canal is filled and sealed with a substance called Guta Percha.

At various stages during the procedure x-rays are taken to ensure that the files is in the correct position and that the sealing is complete and no air bubbles or gaps are present. In the case of a root canal treatment is the same except the abscess is drained, cleaned and treated first.