Retained teeth

RE: Retained teeth

Sarah Bolt — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 15:29:08 GMT

Hi, yes sorry I have been meaning to reply! I had the dog in on Friday and there were no teeth lurking below the gum line so no decision needed

Thank you for all the input, it's good to see what everyone's thoughts are

RE: Retained teeth

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 13:14:43 GMT

Well, one could at least give the owners the option.

On another note, I wonder if Sarah is going to tell us what she found? With a bit of luck, the teeth will just be absent

RE: Retained teeth

Rob Davis — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 09:21:52 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"] As Babbit et al concede, in the human field opinions are divided between "immediate extraction" and "monitor".[/quote]

As always, humans have the benefit of being able to take themselves to the dentist when anything feels wrong. I'm sure by extracting them all, we will be performing some unnecessary surgery, but perhaps it's better to err on the side of caution. I guess this would be similar to the decision making on discoloured teeth with no radiographic evidence of pathology - monitor or treat? I think monitoring is ok if owners are reliably going to re-present the patient and agreed to repeat radiographs, but all too often this is not the case...

RE: Retained teeth

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 13:11:53 GMT

[quote user="Stephen Courtney"]Would an operculectomy be an option or am I thinking of something else ? Unerupted premolars in a GSD spring to mind....[/quote]

Yes if the thing is very close under the gum, enough to make a just-palpable bulge say. It's certainly an easy thing to do. The tooth might then even proceed to eupt normally.

RE: Retained teeth

Stephen Courtney — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 09:24:29 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]

[quote user="Rob Davis"]Does your experience differ from that reported in JVD recently, Evelyn?[/quote]

That's quite a diplomatic way of saying what you are really thinking!

No, I definitely would not trust my experience compared with that study.

My first reply to the OP was far too superficial and possibly bad advice. If there is clear radiographic evidence of cystic lesions then immediate extraction might be considered, and there is something to be said for doing it now while it is uppermost in the client's mind. But I'm very uneasy at the idea of extracting those teeth, "surgically", just because they are there. As Babbit et al concede, in the human field opinions are divided between "immediate extraction" and "monitor".

Against that, if the teeth are lurking just below the gum then extraction might be quite easy, with just a flap. The first premolar is often like that.

[/quote]

Would an operculectomy be an option or am I thinking of something else ? Unerupted premolars in a GSD spring to mind....

RE: Retained teeth

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Sat, 17 Mar 2018 17:34:45 GMT

[quote user="Rob Davis"]Does your experience differ from that reported in JVD recently, Evelyn?[/quote]

That's quite a diplomatic way of saying what you are really thinking!

No, I definitely would not trust my experience compared with that study.

Against that, if the teeth are lurking just below the gum then extraction might be quite easy, with just a flap. The first premolar is often like that.

RE: Retained teeth

Rob Davis — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 18:32:45 GMT

Does your experience differ from that reported in JVD recently, Evelyn?

In this study 29% of impacted or embedded teeth had radiographic signs of cyst formation.

RE: Retained teeth

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 18:12:42 GMT

[quote user="Rob Davis"] I'm not sure that all dental specialists would agree with this.[/quote]

I'm sure that's true.

RE: Retained teeth

Rob Davis — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 16:31:11 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]The permanent teeth may or may not be there. If they are present, you don't have to do anything in my opinion.[/quote]

Interesting. I'm not sure that all dental specialists would agree with this. While not all will go on to develop cysts, if they do, the cyst will not become clinically apparent until it bursts through the bone into the soft tissue space, and there may have been considerable boney destruction before this occurs. For this reason I will usually advise extraction, though as Evelyn says, they can be challenging.

I'd be interested in Peter Southerden's thoughts...

RE: Retained teeth

Sarah Bolt — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 21:30:53 GMT

Brilliant thanks very much for that! Very helpful! And I was going ask the same 'stupid question' when I first read your reply

RE: Retained teeth

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 16:01:18 GMT

[quote user="F Brookes"]

Hi Evelyn,

Potentially a stupid question but what are you looking for with checking for cyst development? Thanks

[/quote]

Not a stupid question at all.

Swelling. Possibly pain. If anything suspicious arises, radiography should reveal all.

RE: Retained teeth

Freya . — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 14:05:26 GMT

Hi Evelyn,

Potentially a stupid question but what are you looking for with checking for cyst development? Thanks

RE: Retained teeth

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 22:38:48 GMT

WHW is one of those breeds where this is not uncommon.

If the deciduous teeth are wobbly obviously you are going to take them out with ease.

The permanent teeth may or may not be there. If they are present, you don't have to do anything in my opinion. But make a note so that you are vigilant for any cyst developing, at your annual health checks or vaccinations or whatever you do.

Surgically extracting them would be quite a job. Fortunately it's highly unlikely to be necessary.