20 Oct Extremely Rare Supernumerary Tooth
Supernumerary teeth are not too common, and a supernumerary maxillary fourth premolar, as seen in this patient, is extremely rare. Crowding of teeth is a common cause of periodontal disease in dogs. This tooth was extracted for periodontal disease prevention.
Pre operative dental radiographs are necessary for surgical planning. In this case, you will see one example of how pre and post operative radiographs made all the difference.
Two pre operative radiograph views reveal that one of the roots of the supernumerary tooth is positioned between two of the roots of 108 making this a tricky and difficult extraction.
Post operative dental radiographs confirm complete removal of all three tooth roots. The radiographs revealed more good news – tooth 108 is intact.
Bone grafting material was added to the space between the roots of 108 that resulted from extraction of one of the roots.
The palatal defect was sutured closed in a tension free manner and the gingiva around tooth 108 was preserved.
When the patient came in for a recheck, he was healing fast and doing great! He was a happy dog, which made his family happy. This of course, made us very happy, too.