Sammi is a 1.5 year old Sheltie who was first brought to us back in February of 2019. The owner had just recently adopted him from a breeder who noted that Sammi had some mouth and teeth issues that would need to be addressed and teeth possibly removed.
Upon presentation, Sammi looked to be a completely normal pup! Dr. Sappington performed her exam and everything looked unremarkable on the sheltie pup. However, after examining his mouth and teeth, she was able to determine that he was born with malalignment in his bottom jaw. Essentially, Sammi’s lower canines were narrow and growing straight up into the mouth causing damage to the roof of his mouth– more specifically his hard palate. With your normal average dog, the canines usually grow in an outward direction between the other teeth so that they all fit together like a puzzle. For Sammi, it was like trying to jam a puzzle piece that didn’t belong in that spot and causing damage.
With Sammi’s case being unique, Dr. Sappington decided to consult with another doctor at the university to discuss what the best treatment options would be for Sammi’s teeth. After consulting with the university doctor, they came up with a few options for the owners to discuss. The first option would be to do crown extensions to elongate the tooth and guide them into the correct position. The second option would be to do an inclined plane which is where we place a temporary splint in the roof of the mouth with a groove to guide the teeth back into place. And lastly, the third option to perform a crown amputation with vital pulpotomy. This is where the top of the affected tooth is cut off and a root canal is performed so the roots don’t get infected.
The owners then elected to go forward with the third option, the crown amputation with vital pulpotomy as this best suited Sammi’s lifestyle. The benefit to this is that Sammi still gets to keep and use his teeth while also no longer causing damage to the roof of his mouth. The owner’s were quick to act on this as they wanted to ensure that Sammi would no longer create damage to his mouth. Within 2 months of his initial visit in February, Sammi had his procedure done at the university in April.
Since his procedure, Sammi is doing well and adjusted well to his teeth at home! The university did recommend doing a recheck exam as well as radiographs if a cap fell off from his crown amputation to ensure that Sammi’s teeth stay functional and comfortable in his mouth. Currently, his teeth are no longer causing damage to the roof of his mouth and he is just your average, happy, healthy sheltie pup!
Written by Taylor