Fractured teeth are PAINFUL. Pet owners don't know but vets do!
Fractured teeth are PAINFUL but dogs and cats rarely let their owners know this. In this photo, you can see the exposed pulp of the lower right canine tooth. The pulp is composed of the blood, nerve, and lymphatic supply. When the pulp is open to the oral cavity it is only time before osteomyelitis (bone infection) occurs in the jaw bone. The initial fracture is sharp and intensely painful but over time it becomes a dull, deep, throbbing pain. Please find these fractured teeth in your patients as they occur much more frequently than you would expect. When you find a broken tooth like this, pain and infection are present.
