Penny is a long time good friend of mine. We have been sharing stories and antics for most of her life. She is a dear patient of mine. She is shy but sweet and very gentle. I adore her and her family. We have all been through some tough times together.
Penny came to see me about a month ago for her routine annual physical exam. During the exam I noticed that she had fractured (more like sheered off the face of the outside of the tooth) her PM4 on the upper right side of her mouth. We call this the carnassial tooth. Most commonly this tooth is damaged from chewing bones, or biting down hard on a solid object. It is also the largest tooth in the mouth, so damage to this often has consequences.

For Penny’s mom she had no idea that Penny had a dental issue. This tooth lives in the back of the mouth, in the maxilla (upper jaw). It is one of the most common dental conditions a veterinarian sees. It is very important that every veterinarian do a thorough oral cavity exam at every time the pet is seen. It is really a big problem for the dogs who need to be muzzled (not at all Penny! but it is important to mention here. I fear many pets lack appropriate inspection at exams.

During Penny’s annual exam we discussed the treatment options for the broken tooth. I explained that the tooth needed to be removed sooner versus later. If left in the mouth it was inevitable to cause problems including pain, infection and possibly affect internal organs down the road.

Pre op blood work was done $200
annual exam $45
pre op antibiotics $70

Cost of the dental surgery included;
i.v. catheter, i.v. fluids, i.v. fluid pump $115
anesthesia $150
PM 4 extraction with gingival flap $95
scale and polish teeth $75
nerve block $22
suture pack $25
NSAID $35
to go home analgesic $13

Pennys family provided consent for photos and story sharing. I thank them for allowing us to share her story and surgery.