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14.10.2024, 06:29 |
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Dr. Stefan Nefen about DENTAL ISSUES
Verfasst am: 10.11.2016, 19:16 |
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Veterinarian specialist Dr. med. vet. Stefan Nefen/ Düsseldorf about dental issues
 (1)
What was the reason, that you are primarily interested in dental issues?
Dr. Stefan Nefen
When I had my first job as an assistant for anesthesia with a specialist for dental diseases in dogs – I recognized this subject area is very fascinating. More and more I undertook dental work and finally I was trained to be a specialist.
Could you name us the most common tooth problems?
Dr. Stefan Nefen
That depends on the species and the age of the patient. In cats we have big problems with a disease called FORL. When a cat suffers from FORL the teeth started to come apart right from the roots, what causes tooth loss and periodontitis.
In addition dental calculus formation is a problem.
Mostly we also find troubles when dogs get their adult teeth and tooth displacement in young dogs – here we notice big differences in breeds and body sizes.
Small breeds have a disposition to dental calculus formation, and periodontitis with tooth loss – whereas bigger sized dogs mostly suffer from tooth injuries due to chewing on hard objects, or injuries caused by playing and romping.
Please explain, why is polishing that important after a surgical teeth cleaning?
Dr. Stefan Nefen
When dogs get a surgical teeth cleaning, first we remove the adherent tartar from the dental enamel by using mechanic tools or ultrasound. As a consequence this emerges microscopically small grooves and surface irregularities. Without treatment plaque is then able to accumulate faster.
By polishing the surface we remove the irregularities and thus we are able to slow down new tartar and plaque.
Therefore a dental cleaning is not effective without a short anesthesia we need for polishing.
 (2)
What are the common problems in milk teeth of puppies?
Dr. Stefan Nefen
Mostly we see puppies with tooth displacement or delayed shedding. Caused by the delayed falling out of the milk teeth some dogs may get problems in their adult teeth as well – therefore it is necessary to remove milk teeth at the latest when the adult teeth can be seen and the milk teeth still block out the place. Often injuries in milk teeth with open root-canal are underestimated. This poses a high risk of infection for the new, adult teeth because of his development right on the top of the old milk teeth – bacterias are able to move forward through the roots-canal right to the tooth germ. The argument that milk teeth remove themselves, or that there is no need to treat injured milk teeth, does not hold – because this may lead to a permanent damaged new tooth.
We often notice brownish discolored teeth, the so called distemper dentition (teeth with brown stains) – what is the reason for this?
Dr. Stefan Nefen
We find the so called distemper dentition as a result of an infection of the teeth germ during the development of teeth. In this time in particular the ameloblastic cells are very sensitive. They can be damaged or destroyed by various bacteria and viruses. Thus the tooth enamel production is abnormal - enamel of poor quality will be the consequence. This dental enamel spalls when the dog is chewing, or we can see defects right from the beginning.
The dentin lying underneath the enamel is not protected and takes on a brown color. In addition to this the dentin is extremely exposed to outside influences what raises long-term damages such as caries and necrotizing of the tooth root.
By the way, those damages are not only caused by distemper, but by a variety of pathogens.
Is caries a problem in dogs as well?
Dr. Stefan Nefen
We do not see many healthy dogs with caries issues. Less than 5 percent show caries in their lifetime. But when a dog suffers from caries it is interesting that we mostly see it in the upper back teeth and explicitly fewer in the lower molars.
The treatment of caries in dogs is exactly the same like in humans – the tooth will be filled or extracted when it is too damaged.
Are braces possible in dogs?
Dr. Stefan Nefen
We also use braces in dogs – not for cosmetic reasons but for medical needs.
Dogs used to have a scissors-bite. The teeth slide pretty near against each other. In case of tooth displacement the teeth can hit each other, or worse, the canine teeth (canines) can perforate the palate (gums) and cause immense damage.
Therefore the displaced teeth will be fixed by braces or brackets or they will be corrected by using a bite splint.
What about implants? Are they also possible in dogs?
Dr. Stefan Nefen
We are technically advanced to apply implants in dogs – but however this will be realized very rarely.
Besides the immense compressive load – the lack of hygiene of the implant and the surrounding tissue is a problem we can hardly control.
Do you feel that there are breeds predisposed for jaw malposition?
Dr. Stefan Nefen
There are many breeds where a jaw displacement is listed (or required) in their breed standard – such as Boxer, Pekingese or Shi Tsu with a significant short muzzle what we veterinarians classify as an obvious anatomical malposition.
But kennel clubs require those false positions.
Besides we often see dogs with middle-length or long-length muzzles that have an evident short lower jaw. This may provoke complications with the teeth position and consequent injuries – which the veterinarian has to treat by a dental surgery. I have to mention the Sheltie – in this breed we often find a high amount of dogs with a dislocation of the upper canine teeth – the so called “lance teeth”.
For all responsible dog owners – how should a perfect dental care look like?
Dr. Stefan Nefen
The optimal dental care looks like the human one. The dog owner has to clean the tooth surface daily to remove the bacterial plaque with a tooth brush or a soft towel - they can also use supporting toothpaste.
In addition to the cleaning there are some food supplements e.g. algal extracts to counteract the plaque.
I have to emphasize that all these measures only minimize the development of tartar - a completely prevention is not possible. I usually tell my clients that also humans with a daily dental care have to visit the dentist regularly to remove plaque.
Dogs with longer muzzles profit by a so called self-cleaning effect because of their teeth have a greater distance to each other. Tongues movement, chaps movement and salivary flow cleans a little, furthermore the increased chewing activity in those breeds reduces plaque and therefore they usually have less problems with dental calculus.
Dr. Stefan Nefen is a member of:
Bundesverband Praktischer Tierärzte BPT
European Veterinary Dental Society EVDS
Akademie für Tiergesundheit e.V. - AFT
Deutsche Veterinärmedizinische Gesellschaft - DVG
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Tierzahnheilkunde - DGTz
Contact:
Himmelgeisterstraße 17
40225 Düsseldorf
Telefon 0049 (0)211 - 337110
www.zahnarzt-fuer-tiere.de
Pictures:
(2) Dr. Stefan Nefen
(1) Anja Rehm |
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