Synonyms

No known synonym

Name of the disease in English

Loose or Broken Teeth

The disease in brief

The tooth concerned is often a premolar or a molar; the tooth becomes loose in particular during actinomycosis.                                                                                                                                                                                        

Incisors rarely break because their implantation remains flexible. Premolars and molars break more often because their implantation is rigid. The breakage occurs when chewing hard objects, but it is often partial, without affecting the root, and therefore asymptomatic. The fracture only causes problems if it also affects the root. It is then frequently complicated by osteitis.

Clinic & diagnosis

The bovine is drooling or losing weight abnormally and a lump is observed on the mandible: this motivates a thorough examination of the mouth and teeth. With suitable lighting and sedation, a loose or broken tooth can then be discovered.

Typical sign of the disease

No description

Pictures

See below

Diagnostic formulas

No description

Differential diagnosis

– Dental abscess N378                                                                                                                                                                                    

- Actinomycosis of the mandible DG14

-Papular stomatitis DG10

-Stomatitis due to foreign body or burn by caustic or stinging agent DG16

Confirm a suspicion?

Specific clinical examination of the mouth, under sedation if necessary, remains the means of confirmation.

Prognosis and treatment

The loose tooth must be removed in most cases. The broken tooth most often harbors a source of infection; it must be removed. The avulsion of the diseased tooth is done under tranquilization or general anesthesia, and local / loco-regional anesthesia. The root is exposed and the tooth is pulled out with forceps. A cover antibiotic treatment of the Penicillin-Streptomycin type is put in place for 5 days.

Prevention

Most often anecdotal problem which does not require specific prevention, apart from a balanced and sufficient mineral diet.

References

Large animal internal Medicine-5th edition. SMITH B.BP. Mosby ed p740

Memo written by G Argenté, DVM, Y. Millemann, Professor at ENV d'Alfort-2019