Diseased Gum Tissue in a Mature Dog

We never know what we are going to find when doing a teeth cleaning and oral health assessment in a dog with Grade III (severe) dental tartar and gingival disease.

 

Once the tartar is removed all the teeth are assessed for overall health. This includes not only the part of the tooth showing, but the tooth roots below the gum line. The tooth roots and surrounding gum tissue are assessed via dental probing and radiographs. This dog showed a marked area of gingival hyperplasia (excessive and inflamed gum tissue) at the area of the upper left premolars.

 

Dental radiographs on this case showed what looks like an extra tooth (arrow) that probably caused crowding of the normal teeth and subsequent predisposition to tartar and infection. Some dogs are born with additional or supernumerary teeth as they are referred to. The main health risk associated with these extra teeth is crowding of normal teeth which allows food material to collect between teeth with subsequent tartar and infection occurring

 

Dr. Poutous surgically removed all the diseased teeth and unhealthy gum tissue, flushed the tooth socket and packed it with a hemostatic sponge to control bleeding. The surrounding healthy gum tissue was then sutured in place to cover the defect. The questionable looking gum tissue was submitted for histopathologic review by a pathologist to rule out gum cancer. Good news!! The pathologist reported no obvious neoplastic (cancer) tissue. Chronic, severe, infected and degenerative gingival and surrounding bone tissue were identified: a tooth abscess that had gotten out of hand and the body was responding by producing excess gum tissue in an attempt to wall off the infection. This happy dog went on to heal uneventfully. Good job Dr Poutous!