Thor had his consult today. This vet said that his plaque was "mild to moderate", and that for his size and age, his teeth were better than average. She also seemed to think that the tooth might have gotten dislodged some other way, which I'm not sure I buy, because Thor is just not a rough and tumble dog.
In any case, she made me feel a bit better about his oral hygiene. He is still going to need a full dental, especially because the very tip of the root may still be lodged in there somewhere, and because another tooth is loose. We are scheduled for next Monday.
She said she's not surprised that my normal vet didn't recommend a dental because his teeth aren't all that bad, but she's going to give me some referrals for vets in my area who are more proactive about preventative care. We're also going to do hip and knee X-ray while he's under anesthesia, in addition to dental X-rays.
I think he's going to lose that second tooth, but she said they will try to save it and she seemed optimistic that he might not need any other extractions. Fingers crossed!
__________________ If you love something, set it free. Unless it's an angry tiger. |