Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dental implant replaces missing lower molar in German shepherd dog
By Ruhnau, Jens et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary dentistry·2003·Small Animal Hospital of Copenhagen·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dental implant replacement of the mandibular first molar tooth in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 11-month-old male German shepherd had his lower right first molar tooth removed due to severe decay when he was 9 months old. A dental implant was successfully placed to replace the tooth, and there were no issues during the procedure. However, six months later, the dog developed an infection around the implant due to an oral injury. At a follow-up appointment 17 months after the surgery, the implant was still in place, but there were signs of gum inflammation and bone loss around it. More research is needed to understand the causes of these issues.
People also search for: dog dental implant · German shepherd tooth extraction · dog gum infection treatment
Abstract
A new dental implant system was used to replace the mandibular right first molar tooth in an eleven-month-old male/intact, utility trained German shepherd dog. The permanent mandibular right first molar tooth had been extracted as treatment for an extensive carious lesion when the dog was 9-months of age. There were no complications associated with placement of the dental implant. However, peri-implant osteomyelitis occurred secondary to a traumatic oral wound 6-months following implant placement. The 17-month post-operative examination indicated that the implant system used in this case could be maintained in a working dog that uses extreme bite forces. However, periodontal inflammation and vertical bone loss exposing the implant fixtures were noted during oral examination. Further clinical applications are required to determine if the periodontal inflammation and vertical bone loss noted in this case were complications associated with the implant, maturity of bone at the time of implant fixture placement, general biting/chewing forces placed on carnassial teeth, or the oral trauma that occurred 6-months following implant placement.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14528856/