Bella's Tooth Saga

[clairep4]

As you know Bella snapped one of her baby ("deciduous" to use the proper term!) teeth a week ago and the root is still in there. She also has a baby lower canine that is digging into the roof of her mouth and making a hole.

I spoke to the dental vet today who seemed very nice. He said that with the broken tooth, the hole where the pulp was leads right up into the jaw where all the buds for her big teeth are, so if any infection got up there it could cause lots of problems for the new teeth. Antibiotics would help but couldn't guarantee that infection wouldn't set in because they don't fight everything. He said if it were only her broken tooth then we could try antibiotics but the ideal thing would be to remove the root.

With the tooth that's making the hole in the roof of her mouth, he said that really does need to come out because the adult tooth will follow the path of it and then come up on the inside of it, i.e. even further out of alignment, and obviously then it would make another hole and need to be fixed with a doggie brace. The much easier option is to take the tooth out now and then the new tooth will naturally come up in more or less the correct position because it won't be following the root of the old one. If it does come up slightly out of alignment, it can be fixed by giving her the right sized rubber ball to bite on and this will nudge it into the right position (apparently it doesn't take much at the stage when they are only just growing - it's if you wait till later that it takes a brace etc).

Anyway, since she needs the bottom one out they may as well do the broken tooth at the same time. He said because she is already teething the roots may well be very short by now so it will all be over very quickly.

And I checked with my insurance (AFI - Animal Friendly Insurance) and she IS covered for this because it is to do with preventing further injury as opposed to just making her teeth look pretty!

So after all that, she is booked in for next Thursday. The place is over in North Kent somewhere, Bluebell Hill or something, about an hour's drive from me.

I'll let you know how she is once it's all over - at least she will be able to just get on with normal teething and we'll hopefully be able to stop worrying about her!    

Claire

[suzysu]

Aw poor little Bella, but it sounds as though it will be easier for her to have the teeth removed now to save problems later  

Blue Bell Hill is very near to me (I have a friend there) so if you need directions pm me with where you are travelling from and I will try and help.

Give Bella a BIG hug from us, will be thinking of you both Thursday xxxxxx

[Annette]

That all sounds really clear, and quite positive really, Claire.

Let us know how you get on.

[Sandie]

As you know Bella snapped one of her baby ("deciduous" to use the proper term!) teeth a week ago and the root is still in there. She also has a baby lower canine that is digging into the roof of her mouth and making a hole.

I spoke to the dental vet today who seemed very nice. He said that with the broken tooth, the hole where the pulp was leads right up into the jaw where all the buds for her big teeth are, so if any infection got up there it could cause lots of problems for the new teeth. Antibiotics would help but couldn't guarantee that infection wouldn't set in because they don't fight everything. He said if it were only her broken tooth then we could try antibiotics but the ideal thing would be to remove the root.

With the tooth that's making the hole in the roof of her mouth, he said that really does need to come out because the adult tooth will follow the path of it and then come up on the inside of it, i.e. even further out of alignment, and obviously then it would make another hole and need to be fixed with a doggie brace. The much easier option is to take the tooth out now and then the new tooth will naturally come up in more or less the correct position because it won't be following the root of the old one. If it does come up slightly out of alignment, it can be fixed by giving her the right sized rubber ball to bite on and this will nudge it into the right position (apparently it doesn't take much at the stage when they are only just growing - it's if you wait till later that it takes a brace etc).

Anyway, since she needs the bottom one out they may as well do the broken tooth at the same time. He said because she is already teething the roots may well be very short by now so it will all be over very quickly.

And I checked with my insurance (AFI - Animal Friendly Insurance) and she IS covered for this because it is to do with preventing further injury as opposed to just making her teeth look pretty!

So after all that, she is booked in for next Thursday. The place is over in North Kent somewhere, Bluebell Hill or something, about an hour's drive from me.

I'll let you know how she is once it's all over - at least she will be able to just get on with normal teething and we'll hopefully be able to stop worrying about her!   

Claire

[snapback]114619[/snapback]

Was that Cedric Tutt you went to see? He is a brilliant dental vet, I had to go see him when I had a problem with a cocker I had. He tells you like it is, no beating around the bush.

The rubber ball he was probably referring to is the kong. The small one. I had to buy two of them as the other cocker I had at the time kept stealing it, so I had to get them one each. It sorted my cockers teeth out.

Feel free to PM me if you want to know more about my cockers teeth problems. Misaligned adult teeth can be put right if you catch it early enough before the jaw sets, which it looks like to me like you have.

Sandie and the Sanmargra Cockers xx

[Sprout's]

Poor Bella she is having a tough time of it isn't she? I'm sure you're doing the right thing. I'll be thinking of her on thursday. Let us know how it goes

Jane