Ginger has a broken left canine tooth which has been like that ever since we adopted her. She's never acted like it bothers her.

We went to the vet today and the vet notices it's broken (she's seen it before but seems to forget). She just recently went to a seminar regarding pet dental health a few months ago, and she now wants to pull that canine. She tells me about a patient that came in with a recent broken tooth and that the owner hadn't noticed the broken tooth, but has noticed a slight change in behavior and energy. Not much. The dog still seemed to eat well,m and seems 97% as energetic as usual but on occasion will appear to be more mellow lately. They decided to pull the broken tooth and within 24 hours, the dog was back to 100%.

Since we don't know what Ginger was like prior to her broken canine, vet wants to pull the canine. Vet said Ginger pulled her head back when she pushed on the broken canine, but I think it was because she caught Ginger by surprise because as she proceeded to push on the other canine to demonstrate, Ginger did not really react when she tried to push on the broken canine again to show me.

I asked her if it was absolutely necessary and she thinks so as the enamel is also compromised and although there are no holes between tooth and gum line, she says it's porous enough that bacteria can enter into the gums.

Vet still thinks we should pull the broken canine, but will ask at a pet dental seminar she will be attending in July my questions asked, 'Is it absolutely necessary if there are currently no signs of the broken canine bothering Ginger?' and 'If it can wait, how long before I do have to pull the broken canine?'

We adopted Ginger in August 2010 and I see no signs or changes to indicate this broken canine is bothering her.

Does anyone have any experiences with broken teeth in their dogs? And being advised that it must be pulled?

Odin has a broken canine. He hit it when he first got here and broke it. I didn't think much of it and let it go... It's still fine now and I don't think much has changed... I mean he's lazy but I pin that to his fused spine more than a tooth....

I think as long as the pulp cavity isn't showing (which would expose the root and cause pain) I honestly wouldn't worry about it... But i'm interested to see what anyone else says...

Koda has the enamel scraped off the back on his bottom canines and a few chips (chips due to weight bearing bones). There is nothing to worry about with the enamel and whatnot as long as I clean his teeth routinely, and my vet said his chips were no big deal. I saw her tooth and honestly it doesn't look all funky or anything, so I wouldn't worry about it.
Honestly, not to be rude, but your vet seems quick to jump to surgery if we are talking about the same one. She wanted Rogue's CVP surgically removed when I asked her about it and my vet said that is usually never done unless the dog is undergoing anesthesia already(i.e., getting a dental) and that surgically removing it makes it more prone to coming back since it's not self-fighting it and that the best thing to do is wait it out and just boost her immune system, which I did and it's gone and no surgery needed. She said it's ridiculous to put them through a surgery and spend the money when it's not hurting the dog at all and the only reason people do surgery is because it's unsightly.

My BC Maggie had a broken canine for the 9 years I had her, no issues

Part of her canine is definitely broken off, and not just the enamel, and what's left, part of the enamel is also broken off. The tooth next to it in the front also has part of the enamel broken/chipped off too, but it doesn't seem to be bothering her at all.

The first time she mentioned the broken canine and said if it bothers her we'll need to *think about removing it. It was only until she went to this dental seminar that she came back to now saying it should be removed.

Ginger gnaws on bones, with back and front teeth on both sides, without issue or sensitivity (from what I can tell), and I do not want to pull a tooth if not necessary.

I almost want to go to my holistic vet that we saw when Ginger had diarreha issues to get a second opinion - which would cost $50 for the vet visit....

Go to your holistic vet Claudia.

I say if it isn't bothering her, don't worry about it. Cato has a broken Canine, granted, its his baby tooth, but our vet said it isn't an issue unless he starts to show signs of pain.

He still gnaws the heck out of bones, I'm not worried.

I would be worried about making matters worse, surgery is a big deal. I'm sure there are more risks in the surgery, than there are with how Gingers tooth.

Yeah, I really feel that extracting her broken canine is unnecessary at this point until she starts to show signs of it being sensitive.

If my vet brings up extracting her broken canine again after she returns from this second dental seminar, I'm going to get a second opinion from the holistic vet. I don't dishing out $50 to get a second opinion on this one.

Could you just call the vet?

mheath0429 wrote:

Could you just call the vet?

I could but they would need to look at it.

Hmm even if it was just a general, what would you do for a broken canine?

mheath0429 wrote:

Hmm even if it was just a general, what would you do for a broken canine?

If the tooth broke or if the enamel chipped/broke enough to irritate/expose root, it would need to be extracted as it could get infected.

Ginger's broken canine doesn't seem to have the root exposed or her gums doesn't seem to be infected.

well, just watch it. I'm sure she is fine.

Pulling it seems pretty extreme. Usually pulling a tooth ,especially a canine (the root goes up almost into the nasal passages), is usually a last resort. Most Drs try and keep the teeth in the mouth as long as possible. If there's a large gingival pocket of 5 mm or more (which it sounds like there isn't) and the tooth root is not exposed, then the tooth is usually kept in the mouth. Sounds like she is jumping the gun since she took this seminar... I'd get a second opinion.

Post a pic, we can use Brooke's veterinary expertise

The vet goes to recent dental seminar, tells you Ginger needs a broken tooth taken out, Vet in my opinion wants to practice new found knowledge.

Sierras has been chipped since we got her, doc has seen it with no mention of pulling just watching, wonder if that will change next visit. Maybe I will get a pic with my new camera.

hypers987 wrote:

Pulling it seems pretty extreme. Usually pulling a tooth ,especially a canine (the root goes up almost into the nasal passages), is usually a last resort. Most Drs try and keep the teeth in the mouth as long as possible. If there's a large gingival pocket of 5 mm or more (which it sounds like there isn't) and the tooth root is not exposed, then the tooth is usually kept in the mouth. Sounds like she is jumping the gun since she took this seminar... I'd get a second opinion.

That's what I fell as well. I'll post a pic in the next couple of hours, but if I remember correctly, vet did also say that there is no gingival pocket, nor is the root exposed. I can't see in the back, but it doesn't look like it would have either in the back of the tooth.

Here4thePics wrote:

The vet goes to recent dental seminar, tells you Ginger needs a broken tooth taken out, Vet in my opinion wants to practice new found knowledge.

Yep...I feel the same way.

jbealer wrote:

Sierras has been chipped since we got her, doc has seen it with no mention of pulling just watching, wonder if that will change next visit. Maybe I will get a pic with my new camera.

She notices Ginger's broken canine everytime we go visit and she has to check her mouth/gums but doesn't seem to remember that it's broken until now, after she has gone to that dental seminar. She'll probably have forgotten that Sierra's tooth is chipped and when she notices the next time, she might still say to watch it depending on bad the chipped enamel is.

Akasha broke two canines on the same side and lost a tiny tooth next to the bottom one trying to chew her way out of her crate while we were at work one day.

She's been fine as no pulp was exposed on either of them.

Needless to say, she's not crated anymore.

The tip of the canine is broken off, and the brown is where where the enamel has chipped off. The enamel on the tooth on the top is also chipped off. (And I have to brush her lower tooth!)

oh sierras is about the same but flat on the bottom, i did take some pics but in my hurry i forgot the camera card! i don't think sierra is missing as much enamel though.

jbealer wrote:

oh sierras is about the same but flat on the bottom, i did take some pics but in my hurry i forgot the camera card! i don't think sierra is missing as much enamel though.

Let me know if she says anything about pulling that tooth the next time you go in for a vet visit. It would interesting to see what she says.

Lola broke her canine over a year ago (lower canine). It broke off below the gum line and she had to get a root canal. Since they had to cut some of the gum away it was painful for her. If they didn't have to cut the gum at all it would have been much easier for her (not painful).

Lola was a rescue and spent a long time in a run...most likely was a cage biter from the stress of being in a run / cage for so long and that weakened the canines.

She's fine now

My lab broke 3 of her 4 baby teeth canines! I had never had a dog do that before, she did it chewing on a piece of concrete at my aunts house, who was watching her. Thank god it was only the baby ones.