GSP Broken Tooth Question

[junior9]

I noticed that my 1 year old GSP has a broken tooth...it is one of his 4 canine teeth and looks pretty painful, but he isn't showing any signs of it bothering him.

Is this something that is common...I have never heard of a dogs adult tooth cracking...I would say about an 1/8 of an inch broke off the tip.

Is there something the vet can do and what is it going to cost, or is there something I should to do:

1)Keep it from getting worse

2)Find out if it is hurting him and

3) Protect him from breaking other teeth.

I have no clue how it happened, and when I touch the tooth it doesn't seem to bother him at all.

Thanks,

Junior

[Gus]

My vet told me not to worry about it unless the tooth discolors and needs to be pulled. The root will retreate and the dog won't even notice it. My dog has 2 broken k-9's. (Likes to fetch rocks underwater for some reason)

[ddsbyday]

Look on the flat surface of the broken canine. If you see no pink or bleeding you have no worries. If the tooth is bleeding from the center you should consult with the vet. The tooth could be extracted or a root canal could be done. No bleeding no pink no worries.

[bigdog]

The Canine tooth has very long roots so a vet most likely will not want to extract unless it gets infected. If you can see pulp in the center you could consider getting it filled. There are a few vets that can do dentistry, the U of MN vet school does have a dentistry dept. I have filled/repaired teeth on two dogs although not a canine tooth. Expect a filling to run at least $300.

[leechlake]

my lab had over half of his canine broken off when he was about two, he ended up having a root canal done and it's been fine ever since. That tooth was obviously broken off more than your dogs and it had to be done. I'd wonder if when it cracked some other damage may have been done, dogs are much better with pain than people, it seems but you can never tell unless he shows signs of being in pain. I guess I'd go to the vet at least for your own piece of mind and for you pals.

[ddsbyday]

No pink, no bleeding, no worries. Pink or bleeding from a tooth means pulp exposure! That means pain, infection, and misery. Maybe not right now, but its coming. If no pink and or bleeding with a dog there will probably be no problem. Humans are a different story. No filling will help a pulp exposure. Trust me on this! DDSBYDAY (Doctor of Dental Surgery by day).

[junior9]

So if it does turn pink...what are the options? You say no filling will help....do they just pull the tooth or is there more that can be done?

Thanks for all the help guys!

[ddsbyday]

Generally it is better to save a the canine tooth on a dog. Lower incisors are less valuable to a dog and they can get by without one. If the tooth is to be saved a root canal can be done(a root canal is a procedure to remove the nerve and blood supply inside the tooth). The procedure can be done by a vet. Some vets have a dentist come in to do it. I had a german shep. that was hit by a car and snapped of 3 lower incisors. Pulps were exposed on all three. Vet suggested do nothing so we did not treat them. She never had any problems.