This is a very sweet adult neutered male yellow Labrador retriever that came to see us for a swollen right face of several weeks duration. He was still eating normally and seemed happy despite the draining wound on his face.
Upon examining his teeth, we noticed the following wear/ fractures to his top right and top left carnassial teeth.
Both teeth are worn and have fractures but neither tooth is broken into the pulp. The gingiva around the top right tooth is more inflamed than the left side and there is also more enamel missing. The brown spot visible in the middle of the tooth is called a pulp scar. This is where the pulp used to be and has receded over time due to the wear on the tooth.
Fractured teeth are extremely common in dogs and most of the time have no significant consequences. Occasionally these teeth can become infected by bacterial invasion directly through the exposed dentin (the layer under the enamel) which is very porous. This is what the top right tooth associated with the facial swelling looked like on x-ray:
If you look closely, you might be able to make out dark areas around the root tips:
These are tooth root abscesses, and these are the source of the infection draining from the face. This tooth was removed, the tooth sockets were curetted, and he was given antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication. The swelling resolved rapidly, and he is now even happier than before.
This case was selected for a write-up because it represents something we see very commonly. Antlers and other inappropriate items are being market and sold as “healthy for teeth” and well-intending owners are giving these to their dogs with the best intentions. Unfortunately, these claims of improving dental health couldn’t be further from the truth.
One dental specialist recommends not to give your dog anything to chew on unless you can bend it with your hands. This means no antlers, bones or even plastic bones.