Fractured Teeth

Evaluation is always important to determine which treatment is necessary when canine or feline patients fracture teeth. Even an animal that may not appear to be in pain and is eating normally requires therapy.

Types of Fractures:

Tooth fractures can be either complicated or uncomplicated.

Uncomplicated fracture — The pulp is not exposed.
Complicated fracture — The pulp (nerve and blood vessels) is exposed to the oral environment.

Treatment for Uncomplicated Fractures

Crown fracture only

Under nine months of age — Perform vital pulp therapy.
Over nine months of age and a chewer of inappropriate objects that may cause further damage — Restore the tooth with a light cured acrylic resin or a crown.
Over nine months of age but not a chewer — Follow with periodic clinical and radiographic examinations.

Crown and root fracture — Same therapy as for a crown fracture, plus remove overlying gingival tissue.

Treatment for Complicated Fractures

Crown fracture

Under nine months of age — Perform vital pulp therapy if the fracture has occurred within hours. Otherwise extract the tooth.
Over nine months of age — Perform root canal therapy or extract the tooth.

Crown and root fracture — Same therapy as for a crown fracture, plus perform gingival surgery to remove part of the gingiva not attached to the fracture segment.

Root fracture

If tooth is fractured near the root tip — The area may heal without treatment. Follow-up intraoral films are indicated.
If tooth is fractured near the crown — Extract the tooth.