Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dental problems found by full-mouth X-rays in small breed dogs
By Kim, Chun-Geun et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2013·Tae-il Animal Medical Center, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Assessment of dental abnormalities by full-mouth radiography in small breed dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that many small breed dogs, like Shih Tzus, have dental problems that might not be visible during a regular check-up. Out of 233 dogs examined, nearly 30% had issues with their teeth, especially the lower molars and upper premolars. Common problems included bone loss and unerupted teeth, which can lead to more serious conditions. The research suggests that older dogs are more likely to have dental issues that only show up on X-rays. Regular dental check-ups and full-mouth X-rays can help catch these problems early.
People also search for: small dog dental problems · Shih Tzu teeth issues · dog dental X-ray importance
Abstract
This study was performed to evaluate full-mouth radiographic findings to determine the prevalence of dental abnormalities and analyze the relationship between dental abnormalities and age in small breed dogs. Sixteen predetermined categories of abnormal radiographic findings were evaluated in 233 small breed dogs. In total, 9,786 possible permanent teeth could be evaluated. Of those, 8,308 teeth were evaluated and abnormal radiographic findings were found in 2,458 teeth (29.6%). The most common teeth with abnormal radiographic findings were the mandibular first molars (74.5% on the left and 63.9% on the right) and the maxillary fourth premolars (40.5% on the left and 38.2% on the right). Bone loss of any type (15.8%) was the most commonly detected radiographic abnormal finding among the 16 categories. Dental conditions with a genetic predisposition were frequently occurred in the mandibular premolar teeth. Shih tzu frequently had unerupted teeth and dentigerous cysts. Among the teeth with abnormal radiographic findings, 4.5%, 19.8%, and 5.3% were considered incidental, additional, and important, respectively. Findings that were only detected on radiographs, which were not noted on routine oral examination, were more common in older dogs. Full-mouth radiographic evaluation should be performed to obtain important information for making accurate diagnoses.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23148139/