Options

The dental specialist looked at Sadie today and gave us three options:

1. Remove the tooth - Once the area heals, there’s practically no chance of further issues. This is the least expensive option.
2. Seal the tooth - They can remove the splinter, clean the area, and use a dental sealant to cover the break. We’d have to brush her teeth daily to keep the area clean. Since there is a little bit of nerve exposed, but no tooth pulp, there’s a chance of infection under the sealant in a year or two. In that case we’d have to remove the tooth anyway, or go with option 3. This is slightly more expensive than removal.
3. Root canal and crown the tooth - They do a complete root canal to clean out the tooth, remove the splinter, and give her a titanium crown. She’d be back to normal use of the tooth, with practically no chance of infection. This is by far the most expensive option, at more than twice the cost of sealing.

I’m completely in favor of saving the tooth, since it is one of the most important ones in
a dog’s mouth. That rules out immediate removal. And my emotional side says Well of
course you get it crowned. No question, give her the best chances possible for normal
dentition. Then the logical side of me (the one that pays the bills) says How can you even
be considering spending $X on a DOG?? Are you nuts?

The vet is going to do X-rays before they proceed, to make sure they know exactly what
they are dealing with. If it ends up being a lot worse than expected, and sealing becomes
a less viable option, Sadie will come home with one less tooth tonight. If it looks okay,
though, we’re getting it sealed.

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In the meantime, Maxwell is getting cleaned and X-rayed as well. If the X-rays show
extensive damage, he’ll be minus a tooth tonight also. I’m slightly less concerned about
removal for him, since it’s a less important tooth (3rd premolar), but it’ll stink, since he’s
not even 2 years old yet! Here’s hoping for only a minor fracture, and we just keep an eye
on it.

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No matter what, the dogs won’t get their tough chew toys any more. No antlers, no bones,
no hard Nylabones. We will still be able to give them the softer Nylabones, which means
Sadie gets to leave bits and pieces all over the floor. She loves to rip chunks off and
scatter them. Maxwell never really chewed the softer ones, which we had actually gotten
specifically for him! I guess he’ll have to learn… Or start eating the furniture.