Dental Pathology & Indications for Extractions

Question 1

What are the different types of teeth fractures?

Answer 1

• complicated - exposure of the pulp
• uncomplicated - could have sensitivity to that tooth if enamel has been broken down

Location
- crown
- root

Cause
- iatrogenic
- idiopathic

Question 2

Where are abscesses most likely to burst in the mouth?

Answer 2

muco-gingival line - path of least resistance

Question 3

What does this image show?

Answer 3

Necrosing deciduous tooth

Question 4

WHat can cause discoloration of the teeth?

Answer 4

Bruise of tooth - pulp has bled into the dentinal tubules
Stain can disapear and tooth becomes white again - within 8 weeks
If doesn’t become white again, pulp is dead

Question 5

What can you see on this xray?

Answer 5

• fracture in canine socket
• jaw fracture

Question 6

What is the difference between luxation and subluxation of a tooth? What directions can teeth move in?

Answer 6

• subluxation - loosened tooth in socket
• luxation - damage to the socket bone (will be in a different position now)

Direction
- Lateral - side to side
* Intrusion - tooth shoved back into socket
* Extrusion - tooth is partially out of the socket
* Avulsion - completely out of the socket

Question 7

When would we undertake a root canal treatment? What are the steps?

Answer 7

If the pulp is dead or infected - we want it removed
- shape canal and clean
- fill it to obliterate space and dissuade bacteria growth
- fill crown
- inert tooth

Question 8

What are caries? How are they treated?

Answer 8

• Simple sugars, refined sugars, bacteria produce acids - tooth material gets dissolved and bacteria grows
• Start with small areas of stain
• As process goes on, start to form cavities

treatment
- extraction
- smaller cavities can be referred for filling
- in some cases have to do a root canal

Question 9

What are these examples of?

Answer 9

Caries

Question 10

What are resorptive lesions?

Answer 10

in cats
- their own type of caries
- gingiva is inflammed and will show hyperplasia
- roots can disappear
- needs xrays to assess stage and decide on treatment

Question 11

When would we be thinking of extracting teeth?

Answer 11

• Pocket >5mm
• Gingival recession
• Furcational bone loss F2-F3
• Mobility M2-M3

Question 12

What are treatment options for periodontitis?

Answer 12

• Gingivoplasty/ gingivectomy
• Management
• Tooth salvage
• Periodontal surgery

Question 13

What is stomatitis?
What is gingivostomatitis?

How are these managed?

Answer 13

• Buccal tissue inflammation
• Both gingival and surrounding buccal tissue inflammed

Management
- teeth brushing once or twice a day if posssible
- sometimes have to extract teeth as they are the ones that are covered in bacteria causing inflammation

Question 14

What congenital dental abnormalities are possible?

Answer 14

• missing teeth
  
  • almost all boxers are missing a premolar
  • instead they have cysts that grow over time and destroys the bone
  • this can lead to a jaw fracture
  • needs removal
• stained teeth
• patch of enamel missing on a tooth
• joined roots
• persistent deciduous dentition
  
  • easy removal
• malocclusion
  
  • can be fixed by shortening teeth, moving teeth or altering jaw shape

Question 15

What are the 3 classes of malocclusion?

Answer 15

Class 1 – dental
Class 2 – skeletal maxilla>mandible (‘overshot’)
Class 3 – skeletal mandible>maxilla (‘undershot’)

Question 16

What is an epulide? How can you manage them?

Answer 16

• Non-specific, collective term
• ‘Gingival mass’
• Varying malignancy
• Radiograph
• Biopsy
  
  • Do NOT extract teeth in/ near a lesion (other than if very mobile & require only thumb & forefinger) until you have a diagnosis!