Outcome of Permanent Canine Teeth Following Extraction of Linguoverted Deciduous Mandibular Canine Teeth in 28 Dogs.

Linguoverted mandibular canine teeth (LMC) are a common cause of class 1 malocclusion, which may result in a traumatic occlusion. When deciduous LMC are diagnosed, extraction is commonly performed to alleviate traumatic occlusion. This retrospective study was designed to observe the outcome of the permanent dentition in dogs with a class 1 malocclusion receiving treatment for deciduous LMC. Medical records from a veterinary dental referral hospital were used to identify patients that underwent extraction of deciduous LMC's prior to the eruption of the permanent mandibular canine teeth. The permanent occlusion was then evaluated once the permanent mandibular canine teeth were erupting. Of the 28 dogs identified and treated for deciduous LMC's, 78.6% (22/28) had a normal permanent occlusion. The 6 patients identified with permanent LMC's were all diagnosed when the patients were between 20 and 29 weeks of age. Of these 6 patients, 5 received gingivectomy and gingivoplasty treatment to correct the permanent LMC. Treatment was declined by the pet owner of the sixth patient. Overall, the majority of dogs in this study with a class 1 malocclusion and deciduous LMC's treated with extractions prior to the eruption of the permanent mandibular canine teeth had a normal permanent occlusion.

Treatment of Oral Disease in Eight Pet Pot-Bellied Pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus): A Case Series.

Evidence of porcine oral pathology in client-owned domestic pigs has been reported in recent literature. The most common abnormalities are missing teeth and periodontal disease. This case series reviews the diagnosis and treatment of dental disease in 8 pet Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus) over a 6-year period (2015-2021). Inclusion criteria included pigs over 1 year of age that had at least 2 sequential visits involving photographs, full-mouth intraoral radiographs, and dental charting. Eight pigs were identified for study inclusion. The study population included 4 castrated males, 3 spayed females, and 1 intact female. The 8 subjects had a total of 28 visits. Fifty-five intraoral dental extractions were performed and complete healing of 44 extraction sites was observed (11 sites were lost to follow up). Canine tooth reduction was performed on 52 tusks in 7 pigs with exposure of 1 pulp that was treated by partial pulpectomy and direct pulp capping. Restoration of carious lesions was performed on 4 teeth. The most commonly extracted teeth were the right and left maxillary first molars (10 of 47 teeth). Reasons for tooth extraction included: periodontal disease, complicated crown fracture, nonvital +/- periapical pathology, and persistent deciduous teeth. Additional treatments ranged from type 1 crown lengthening with restoration of carious lesions, tusk trimming, closed and open root planing, dental extractions, ultrasonic scaling, and polishing. This article stresses the importance of routine dental healthcare and early intervention for periodontal disease in pigs.

Age of Dental Apical Closure in Domestic Cats.

Data on the age of apical closure in felines is limited. Moreover, differences in age of apical closure between male and female cats have not been studied. The aim of this study was to determine the timing of apical closure in cats and determine if sex or position in the dental arch affected closure. In this retrospective descriptive study, intraoral radiographs were obtained at monthly or multiple-monthly intervals for 18 cats. Nine were intact females and 9 were neutered males, ranging from 6 to 9.4 months of age at the start of the study which ranged over an 8-month period. Radiographs were evaluated to establish age of apical closure for all canine teeth as well as the mandibular premolar and molar teeth. Mandibular canine tooth apices closed between 10 and 12 months of age and maxillary canine tooth apices closed between 12 and 14 months of age. The mesial and distal root apices of both the mandibular third and fourth premolar teeth closed between 8 and 9 months. The mandibular first molar tooth mesial and distal root apices closed between 8 and 8.5 months. Root apices of canine teeth closed earlier in female cats than in male cats with mandibular canine tooth root apices closing significantly earlier than maxillary canine tooth roots in both sexes. These findings suggest that there are notable differences in age of apical closure between male and female cats and discernible trends in timing of apical closure among teeth in the dental arcade.

Day one core competencies in veterinary dentistry.

This article describes the core competencies recommended for inclusion in the veterinary curriculum for all veterinary graduates based on the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges Competency-Based Veterinary Education document. General practice companion animal veterinarians are frequently presented with patients having dental, oral, or maxillofacial pathology, and veterinary graduates will be relied upon for recommendations for the maintenance of oral health, including the prevention of periodontal disease, identification of endodontic disease, and knowledge of developmental defects. These recommendations should be made for all veterinary patients starting at a young age. These core competencies can apply to many companion species, but mainly are focused on the dog and cat. Because periodontal disease is the most common abnormality observed in dogs and cats, the first key step is taking a few seconds during examination of every patient of any age presented for any reason to examine the oral cavity. Although dental, oral, and maxillofacial pathology is often diagnosed after imaging and evaluation under anesthesia, the first step is observation of dentition and gingivae during the conscious exam to assess periodontal health status. The physical exam of the oral cavity may reveal oral behavior (eg, observation of uncomplicated crown fractures due to chewing on hard objects), which will permit recommendations for enhanced prevention by daily oral hygiene or professional treatment. There are now many involved dental and surgical treatments available, some of which require specialist-level instrumentation and expertise. General practitioners should be able to competently perform the following immediately upon graduation from veterinary school: For patients for whom the owner's reason for the veterinary visit is not dental, oral, or maxillofacial disease, obtain a brief (1 or 2 questions) history of the oral health of the patient. On lifting the lip of every patient, recognize presence or absence of accumulated dental plaque or calculus on the crowns of the teeth, presence or absence of gingival inflammation or ulceration, and presence or absence of other dental, oral, and maxillofacial pathology. On anesthetized patients that have dental, oral, and maxillofacial pathology for which professional treatment is indicated, be able to obtain and interpret appropriately positioned and exposed dental radiographs. When the presence of dental, oral, and maxillofacial pathology is recognized, determine whether each tooth present in the mouth does or does not require professional treatment beyond dental subgingival and supragingival scaling and polishing. List the indications for tooth extraction, know indications for potential oral/dental treatments beyond subgingival and supragingival scaling and polishing or extraction, and determine whether the professional treatment that may be indicated, such as root canal treatment or mass resection of oral tissues, requires referral for specialist-level expertise and instrumentation. Complete a thorough periodontal evaluation and therapy with periodontal probing, including professional subgingival and supragingival ultrasonic scaling with polishing under anesthesia. Demonstrate the ability to extract teeth indicated for extraction, using gentle and appropriate techniques that will risk minimal injury to the jaws and oral soft tissues and reduce postoperative patient pain. Provide appropriate postoperative care, including recognition of when postoperative analgesia and possibly antibiotic administration are indicated.

Prognostic indicators for feline craniofacial trauma: a retrospective study of 114 cases.

Craniofacial traumatic injuries contribute significantly to the morbidity and mortality of domestic felines. Previous studies focused on feline craniofacial injuries have investigated the origin of injury, injuries sustained, and effectiveness of diagnostic tools. The aim of the study is to identify prognostic indicators for feline craniofacial trauma patients and determine their association with negative and positive outcomes. The Veterinary Committee on Trauma (VetCOT) Trauma Registry and Dentistry and Oral Surgery Case Logs were utilized to identify feline craniofacial trauma cases that were presented to Colorado State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital between 2014 and 2020. Prognostic indicators evaluated included: etiology of injury, signalment (age and sex), the Modified Glascow Coma Scale (MGCS), Animal Trauma Triage (ATT) scores, craniofacial examination findings, diagnostic imaging technique, and injuries identified via imaging. Outcomes were determined via patient status upon discharge. Outcomes were grouped into the following categories: survival to discharge at initial presentation to CSU Urgent Care (SDIP), survival to discharge after injury treatment/repair by CSU DOSS or another specialty service (SDTX), euthanized due to grave prognosis at initial presentation (EUGP), euthanized due to financial limitations at initial presentation (EUF), and euthanized due to grave prognosis and financial limitations (EUGP + EUF). The continuous data was described using means and standard deviations. To determine the associations of various groupings of clinical signs and imaging findings with outcome a principal component analysis was performed. Patient sex, trauma etiology, cumulative MGCS and ATT scores on initial presentation and clinical signs on initial presentation were identified as prognostic indicators with intact males, vehicular and animal altercations, lower MGCS cumulative scores, higher ATT scores and the presence of altered mentation identified as negative prognostic indicators. Prognostic indicators for feline craniofacial trauma can be associated with outcomes and help guide clinical decision making.

A retrospective study of canine oral extramedullary plasmacytoma over a 15-year period (July 2004-July 2019): Treatment, histologic parameters and clinical outcomes.

A total of 45 cases of canine oral extramedullary plasmacytomas (EMPs) presented to a tertiary referral institution over a 15-year period were examined. Histologic sections of 33 of these cases were examined for histopathologic prognostic indicators. Patients underwent variable treatment including surgical intervention, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Long term survival was observed in the majority of dogs with a median survival time of 973 days (2-4315 days). However, almost 1/3 of dogs had progression of plasma cell disease, including two cases with myeloma-like progression. Histologic characterization of these tumours did not reveal criteria to predict tumour malignancy. However, cases without tumour progression did not exceed 28 mitotic figures in ten 400× fields (2.37 mm2 ). All cases with tumour related death showed at least moderate nuclear atypia. Oral EMPs may represent a local manifestation of systemic plasma cell disease or singular focal neoplasia.

Clinical Evaluation of Intraoral Suture Patterns Using Poliglecaprone 25 in Greyhound Dogs.

To evaluate healing and complications of extraction sites closed with a simple interrupted pattern (SI) and a simple continuous (SC) suture pattern in a prospective randomized clinical trial. Greyhounds were selected from a rescue with a standardized environment and naturally occurring disease. Surgical extractions were performed (35 sites) and all mucogingival flaps were closed with 4-0 poliglecaprone 25 using either SI or SC randomly assigned by surgical site. Oral healing/dehiscence, suture inflammation, suture loss, accumulation of debris, presence/nature of discharge, necrotic tissue and adjacent contact ulceration were evaluated. Fisher's exact test was used to compare categorical data and two-tail T tests used to compare continuous data. Results showed SC was faster to apply. No new dehiscence events were detected after Recheck 1. There was no significant difference for dehiscence scores between SI and SC. A trend was seen towards more major dehiscence in the SI group. This study concluded SC is an alternative to SI for closure of occlusal surfaces in the mouth. Mandibular canine tooth extraction sites were more likely to have a high dehiscence score than all other sites combined regardless of surgical technique.

Management of Dental and Oral Developmental Conditions in Dogs and Cats.

Developmental dental and oral disorders are present in juvenile patients less than 12 months of age. The conditions are diverse ranging from cosmetic only to requiring advanced surgical intervention to alleviate pain and secondary complications. Clinical presentation, diagnosis, and appropriate treatment of dental abnormalities including abnormalities in the number, structure, size, and shape of teeth, as well as oral abnormalities including malocclusions, congenital cleft lip and palate, developmental abnormalities resulting in bony proliferation, and soft-tissue abnormalities of the lip and tongue are discussed throughout the article.

Cadaveric Evaluation of Injectate Distribution for Two Maxillary Nerve Block Techniques in Cats.

Regional nerve blocks have been shown to decrease general anesthetic drug requirements and improve pain management in patients undergoing surgery. Regional nerve blocks are used routinely in patients undergoing oral surgery, such as dental extractions. There is little published information regarding the efficacy of feline maxillary and infraorbital nerve blocks. The goal of the study was to compare injectate distributions of the infraorbital foramen and percutaneous maxillary nerve block techniques in feline cadavers using a combined dye and radiopaque contrast media solution to simulate an injection. There was no significant difference in length of stained nerve between the two different techniques. It was not necessary to advance the needle into the infraorbital canal to achieve effective staining of the maxillary nerve. There was no significant difference in injectate distribution between two different injectate volumes, 0.2 and 0.4 ml, indicating that the smaller volume injected at the infraorbital foramen resulted in adequate nerve staining.

TREATMENT OF ORAL DISEASE IN EIGHT CAPTIVE BENNETT'S WALLABIES (MACROPUS RUFOGRISEUS) BETWEEN 2011 AND 2019: A CASE SERIES.

Oral disease, such as endodontic disease and macropod progressive periodontal disease (MPPD), which can progress to chronic alveolar osteomyelitis (CAO), have been identified as a common source of morbidity and mortality in captive macropods. This case series reviews the diagnosis and treatment of dental disease in eight captive Bennett's wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus) over the course of an 8-yr period (2011-2019) in a zoological collection. Two wallabies were treated at four separate times, for a total of 14 anesthetized dental surgical procedures. Two wallabies died after treatment for dental disease. Endodontic disease, MPPD, and CAO were all identified and treated with extraction. Cases in which disease was identified early and treated aggressively had a good outcome with no return of clinical signs in the affected area. Several cases of extensive CAO were treated successfully with extraction and extensive debridement. One wallaby developed immune-mediated anemia, a suspected adverse drug reaction associated with prolonged administration of intravenous clindamycin.

Computed Tomography Analysis of the Feline Infraorbital Foramen and Canal.

Feline skull anatomic variation is plain to see with casual observation. Obtaining an in-depth understanding of this anatomic variability is critical to performing safe and effective regional anesthesia for dental procedures and maxillofacial surgeries. Maxillofacial anatomic variability is proven to impact the placement and efficacy of nerve blocks in dogs and horses, but similar studies have not been performed in cats. This study's main objective was to evaluate the anatomy of the infraorbital foramen and canal in relation to regional anatomic landmarks in brachycephalic and mesaticephalic cats. Significant anatomic variability was identified, particularly among cats with brachycephalic skulls.

Prevalence of Malocclusion of Deciduous Dentition in Dogs: An Evaluation of 297 Puppies.

A total of 297 dogs between 8 and 12 weeks of age were examined during a 1-year period to evaluate occlusion. Dogs were categorized either as individual dogs or members of a litter and purebred or mixed breed. Occlusion was evaluated by class: normal, class 1 malocclusion (MAL1), class 2 malocclusion (MAL2), or class 3 malocclusion (MAL3). Dogs with MAL3 were also subdivided based on whether MAL3 was considered a breed standard; dogs with breed standard MAL3 were considered under normal occlusion for statistical analyses. Malocclusions were further categorized as mild, moderate, or severe. Twenty-six percent (77/297) were identified as having a malocclusion. For single dogs, purebreds had a significantly higher percentage of malocclusions compared to the mixed breeds (33.8% and 20% respectively; P = .042). For dogs in litters, there were no purebreds with malocclusion, which was significantly less than the number of mixed breeds with malocclusions (0% and 23.5%, respectively; P = .0023). No significant difference in prevalence was noted between mixed breed and purebred dogs. Occlusal evaluation is important for all dogs to allow for early recognition of malocclusion and, if necessary, intervention in a timely manner.

Extensive Maxillary Odontomas in 2 Dogs.

Two immature male dogs were presented for the treatment of extensive maxillary compound odontomas. In both cases, clinical evaluation and diagnostic imaging revealed extensive lesions invading and displacing anatomical structures of the maxilla. Histopathology confirmed the diagnoses in both cases. One dog was treated with partial rostral maxillectomy, and the other dog was treated with enucleation of the cystic lining and removal of tooth-like structures through a lateral rhinotomy utilizing an intraoral approach. This report illustrates the growth potential of maxillary compound odontomas in 2 dogs and highlights their subclinical appearance and excellent prognosis despite their extensive nature.