Dogs and cats frequently fracture their teeth. In many cases, this can expose the pulp (nerve) chamber and lead to the death and infection of the tooth. The exposed nerve chamber can appear as a small pink spot in the fractured area. This is painful for the pet, and it can take up to years for the dead teeth to finally fall out. By the time they fall out, adjacent teeth can be affected as well.
      Keep in mind that your pet will rarely show obvious signs of discomfort. These fractures are painful; we are just not good at recognizing the signs of pain in our pets.
      Teeth may also be fractured without any exposure of the pulp (nerve) chamber. When the thin enamel layer of the tooth is lost, this exposes the dentin layer, which is composed of tiny tubules. The tubules are a direct fluid-filled conduit to the nerve, and are large enough to allow bacterial migration. Exposure of this dentin layer is painful, and frequently allows infection to develop inside the tooth, where it can remain undetected for years! Many owners (and Veterinarians) do not realize that fractured teeth frequently become infected, even if the pulp chamber is not exposed.

      All fractured teeth need to be assessed with dental radiographs to help determine if they are a problem for the pet. Fractured teeth that are not infected should be smoothed and “sealed” with bonded dental materials that decrease sensitivity and help decrease the chances of future infection. Fractured teeth that are infected should be treated with root canal therapy or extracted.

The arrow points to the fractured area - and the pink pulp tissue.	The tooth after treatment. The arrows point to the composite restorations (fillings).
	Radiograph after treatment. The arrows show the filling material in both roots of this large chewing tooth.

Radiograph of right upper fourth premolar with infected areas around -the tip of the back root.	Left side in the same patient, showing more severe changes present around all three roots.