Broken Teeth in Dogs:

Dog’s broken teeth are a very common occurrence and can be caused by a number of factors.

The dog’s broken tooth can be the result of trauma – such as being hit by a car or rock, as well as chewing on excessively hard objects – which is very common for a lot of animals. While all teeth are prone to breakage, some teeth are more prone to fracture than others.

Some of these types of teeth include the canine teeth in dogs (also known as the fangs) as well as the upper fourth molar which is a large tooth situated toward the top in the back of the mouth. When a dog has broken teeth, bacteria from the mouth will gain access to the pulp of the root – resulting in the infection of the tooth.

More severe cases will see the bacteria leak through the bottom of the tooth and infect the jaw bone as well. While the same kind of infection can cause extreme amounts of pain in human beings, it is very rare for dogs to show signs of discomfort as experts believe that they prefer to suffer in silence. As a result, a number of dog owners ignore the problem dismissing it to be very minimal.

Symptoms of Broken Tooth:

When a dog has broken teeth, the more obvious set of symptoms include a swollen jaw, an abscess in the gums as well as lethargy, an overall feeling of malaise, irritability and an inability to eat or chew food.

Causes of Canine Broken Teeth:

As previously mentioned, the most common causes of dog's broken teeth include chewing on very hard objects as well as traumatic injuries that have been sustained by the animal. A broken puppy tooth may sometimes occur naturally, as the dog grows and is ready for its adult teeth.

Dog Tooth Fracture Treatment:

The treatment of the condition will depend largely on the extent and severity of the canine broken teeth. While there are a number of new dental treatments available for pets today, more severe condition may even require surgery or complete tooth extraction. The lifestyle your pet leads when affected by a fractured tooth will significantly define how the animal is able to deal with the condition. The pet’s diet should mainly consist of moist food items to prevent any excessive pressure being applied on the teeth by hard food particles. Regular dog dental care and tooth cleaning will significantly reduce the amount of time taken for recuperation of the injured tooth.

Submitted on May 7, 2010