First dental xrays on dog

RE: First dental xrays on dog

Rob Davis — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 14:55:22 GMT

I'm impressed - these look pretty good for a first effort with a fixed head machine! Don't forget to invest a little more hard-earned cash in the high tech viewer (card-board with film-sized holes cut out, or tube as Evelyn suggested). Cutting out the background light does make viewing much easier.

RE: First dental xrays on dog

Bob Russell — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 14:30:03 GMT

If you think this is fun just wait until you go digital!

No chemicals, minimal hassle and you can make the teeth look really big!!

RE: First dental xrays on dog

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 14:23:25 GMT

[quote user="Beats"]Re 109 - what can you see on xray to doom this tooth? I had wondered it just hadn't developed/exposed/positioned very well and had ignored it; is it loss of bone between the roots?[/quote]

Yes, the positioning probably wouldn't pass the EVDC exam, but you can see huge bone loss round at least one root.

[quote user="Beats"]Re 309 and 409, I cleaned them up as best I could and stitched a little gum around. The owner won't be able to brush the teeth though, so based on that would you say extraction would have been better or is it reasonable enough to do as I did and review in 6 months under anesthesia?[/quote]

Your plan seems a good 'un. Especially as you did the gum surgery.

As you've extracted the neighbour, you've got some spare gum which you can snug up against the tooth you hope to keep.

[quote user="Beats"]I've just treated myself to a lovely shiny new e-book "Practical Veterinary Digital Radiography" to feed my new hobby[/quote]

e-book? e-book??Wash your keyboard out with soap and water.

RE: First dental xrays on dog

Bob Russell — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 09:07:28 GMT

Zygomatic arch can be a bit of a pain but minor re positioning of the tube head can get it out of the way! Teeth might be 'stretched' but views still useful.

Sometimes it takes more than one view to see all roots ie cannot always see all roots adequately on one view.

RE: First dental xrays on dog

Beats — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 07:53:22 GMT

Thanks Evelyn - that's incredibly helpful feedback to steer me in the right directions!

Re 309 and 409, I cleaned them up as best I could and stitched a little gum around. The owner won't be able to brush the teeth though, so based on that would you say extraction would have been better or is it reasonable enough to do as I did and review in 6 months under anesthesia? I like your explanation of the plaque traps.

Re 109 - what can you see on xray to doom this tooth? I had wondered it just hadn't developed/exposed/positioned very well and had ignored it; is it loss of bone between the roots?

I've just treated myself to a lovely shiny new e-book "Practical Veterinary Digital Radiography" to feed my new hobby

RE: First dental xrays on dog

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 22:19:38 GMT

[quote user="Beats"]observation would be that the zygomatic arch seems rather in the way[/quote]

Ah, you've noticed......

[quote user="Beats"]dogs have a lot of teeth.[/quote]

And that too....

[quote user="Beats"]Is there something untoward happening in the pulp cavity of the distal root of 108 as it approaches the apex (widening with little offshoots perhaps?)[/quote]

Yes I think this root is considerably resorbed. It's mildly over-exposed but I'm pretty sure. On this film you can see that 109 is doomed too, though you didn't need the Xray to tell you that.

[quote user="Beats"]Having looked at the xrays in more detail now, my question is is 309 doomed with periapical lucency around distal root?[/quote]

I don't actually see periapical lucency there. So tooth not doomed for that reason. What i do see is considerable bone loss on the distal side and bone loss more than halfway down the root on the mesial side; which reflects of course the way periodontal disease is often most extreme interproximally because that's where plaque accumulates most easily. Now you've extracted the neighbours both sides, you've altered the whole situation, eliminated the plaque traps. So this tooth may be able to survive – there will be little recovery of bone height or of gum width, but the tissues may heal and attach solidly at this level. But only if the tooth gets conscientious oral hygiene.

Much the same applies to 409, though there the worse side is the distal. I can't see periapical lucency. I can see what you mean by "sclerosis" but I would call that normal.