Journal of Veterinary Dentistry

Biomechanical studies of the elongated canine tooth of animals are few, and thus our understanding of mechanical and physical properties of animal teeth is limited. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of force direction on fracture resistance and fracture pattern of canine teeth in an ex vivo dog cadaver model. Forty-five extracted canine teeth from laboratory beagle dogs were standardized by hard tissue volume and randomly distributed among 3 force direction groups. The teeth were secured within a universal testing machine and a load was applied at different directions based on testing group. The maximum force to fracture and the fracture pattern classification were recorded for each tooth. After correcting for hard tissue cross-sectional area in a multivariate analysis, no significant difference in the amount of force required for fracture was apparent between the different force direction groups. However, the influence of force direction on fracture pattern was significant. The results of this study may allow the clinician to educate clients on possible causal force directions in clinically fractured teeth and, thus, help prevent any contributing behavior in the future.

An inflammatory gingival mass surrounding resorbing teeth was diagnosed via biopsy in a 9-year-old domestic shorthair cat. A dorsal rim excision was performed to remove the entire mass with associated teeth and bone. Histopathological diagnosis of the en bloc tissue revealed an odontogenic fibromyxoma. Extensive literature review revealed few case reports of companion animals with this neoplasm, and none in a feline patient. This report documents the clinical presentation, diagnostic differentials, surgical therapy, and long-term follow-up of an odontogenic fibromyxoma in a cat.

The use of oral endoscopy can be very beneficial in that it helps the clinician to perform a more thorough oral examination. However, due to the high cost, most commercially available equine oral endoscopy systems have been out of reach for clinicians who practice equine dentistry outside a large hospital setting. This article details how to set up an oral endoscopy system that can be used on equine patients either in an ambulatory practice or in a hospital setting. The system is more cost-effective than most other systems currently on the market without sacrificing functionality or image quality. The oral endoscope can be wirelessly integrated with a handheld tablet device or larger monitor for real-time viewing of images. It also has the ability to obtain high-resolution digital images and videos that can be easily incorporated into the patient’s medical record. Incorporation of this system into equine practices has the potential to provide improved care for dental patients and to help overcome some of the inherent challenges of equine dentistry.

Commissurorraphy is a surgical procedure designed to move the lip commissure rostrally. This procedure may be helpful as a unilateral procedure in cases of unilateral mandibulectomy to support tongue function and improve esthetics. Bilateral commissurorraphy is utilized in cases of radical bilateral mandibulectomy and as a salvage procedure for support of bilateral mandibular fractures in cases where rigid surgical fixation is not feasible. Dehiscence is the most likely complication of commissurorraphy. Tension can be reduced at the rostral extent of the incision by utilizing mattress sutures, intravenous fluid tubing, and/or buttons to prevent tearing through sutures.

This step-by-step feature provides a pictorial description of the commissurotomy procedure. Commissurotomy can be performed to increase surgical access to the caudal oral cavity for procedures such as total mandibulectomy, caudal mandibulectomy, and surgical access to the mandibular ramus.