November 2005
Dr Gerhard Steenkamp

A 1-year old Staffordshire bullterier bitch is presented to you for her yearly vaccinations. While performing a thorough clinical examination you see the following on the mandible (Picture DSC 05613 ).

a) What abnormalities are present?
b) What can be the cause of these abnormalities?
c) What should you do with this case?



a) The fourth mandibular premolar is absent, there is a traumatic lesion of the gingiva.

b) Absent tooth - Unerupted tooth - due to impaction, dentigerous cyst, tumour formation

Anodontia - No tooth developed

Toothloss - Due to trauma

Gingival trauma - Chewing hard sharp objects, especially cow hooves.

c) Absent tooth - radiograph jaw to confirm absence or presence of tooth.
If the tooth is present but deformed, cystic or even tumerous (odontoma), remove tooth.

Gingival trauma - In this case probably no treatment, if it was worse local antiseptic as in a chlorhexidine mouth rinse. Remove hard and sharp objects so dog cannot chew them. Do not feed dogs cow hooves, rather use rawhide chews instead.