Fractured Teeth- Schutzhund - Page 2

Get a copy of the x-ray, pre-extr4action, with all the dog's numbers (tattoo, m/chip, AKC reg., date), so you'll have it for the Kormeister come breed survey time. The premolar, once the jaw and gums are healed, should have no effect on the bitework. Don't do any work or play involving th4e dog's mouth until you're POSITIVE there is no pain.

Or you could go to a vet who specializes in broken teeth. One of mine broke a tooth on a sleeve and my vet sent us to a specialist. The root was showing. He did a root canal and capped the tooth just like occurs with humans. It was a fang or whatever it's called. Five years later he still  bites hard and the only sign of the incident is the tooth is smaller than normal. No different than what happens to humans who break a tooth; they don't get pulled, they get capped with a root canal if necessary. No reason to treat a dog's tooth that a human tooth.

I know this is an old post but I am commenting after one of my dogs had 5000 dollars worth of dental surgery (two k9 extractions and two lower k9 root canals).  The original poster's vet was exactly right, when they are young, their tooth pulp is very blood rich and the enamel is very thin.  Any trauma can result in blood filling the tooth space and the pulp can die without immediate intervention.  This blood is a rich source of food for bacteria so if there is a break in the tooth or if there is dentin showing, you could get an infection that could kill the dog.  My dog's surgery was almost 6 hours with a dog dentist (actually a human endodontal specialist that now does root canals on animals, and another vet).

Because the enamel is thin in young dogs, any crown still leaves a tiny part of the tooth below the crown and above the jaw that is not covered and the tooth will break off there if it is traumatized again by bite work.  That is why crowns can work well and the dog can keep working when put into an adult dog with fully thickened enamel and almost never in a young dog.  If I were to also allow the lower K9s to be removed the dog could do bite work as the back teeth are what the dog grips with, but I chose to not use this dog (in my avatar) for Schutzhund.  If the tooth is a non K9 tooth, extraction will allow the dog to have a sport/law enforcement career.  If the dog is fully mature, a crown or extraction will allow the dog to continue.  But anytime you crown there is a weak point below the crown that can break so extraction eliminates that issue.  Lower k9 extraction (why I don't do it in my dog) involves very difficult surgery that can break the jaw and the lower k9s help the tongue to stay in the mouth.   

This is also why I am very paranoid about having only a highly experienced helper work my other dogs and never letting them chew things that could cause a breakage or wear their enamel (like tennis balls or rough toys).

Titanium crowns and root canal is not the way to go. Anyone that has done this usually will agree. They break quickly as the tooth is not stable. I have a few dogs with pulled teeth no difference in bitwork. Better that than a dog that will not bite as their teeth hurt.

My 15 month old broke an incisor, had a root canal and filling, no cap as they can break off. Cost was around $1,900.

No problem with his bitework at all.

Good luck.