# Ramifications of removing a tooth?



## Jennifer Michelson (Sep 20, 2006)

My SAR dog Griffin has an epulid on his left top gum inbetween the 2 small teeth behind the canine. The epulid should be a benign tumor, but it could be invasive. If it is invasive, he could have a tooth or 2 removed (I will assume not the canine) and maybe some bone. I saw a vet last week and will see a dentist tomorrow. 

One reason my vet sent me to the dentist is because her schutzhund dog had a tooth problem she used the dentist to make sure there was minimal impact on the dog's mouth/teeth for biting. 

Basically these masses can be removed without messing with bone/teeth and they may or may not grow back and they shouldnt turn cancerous. I dont want to mess with the structure of his mouth if I can help it. But if needed we remove teeth. 

What are the issues with removing teeth from a working dog? He doesnt do bite work, but his rewards are ball (tugging and throw) and less frequently bites and tugging with a tug. He is a strong tugger and likes to 'fight' against the helper with the tug. I could go only to ball reward if there will be weakness in his mouth, but there is still some tugging there.

Thanks for any experiences.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

I'm obviously not a boarded veterinary dentist, but I'd suspect the impact on the two small pre-molars would be pretty minimal once healed. Even police K-9s can usually go back to bitework around 3 weeks post extraction/root canal for some of the much larger teeth (canines, big fourth premolars) once the mouth heals. Good luck with the surgery!


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

I agree with Maren, I would expect the impact to be minimal. Maybe a little bit of blood on the gums once in awhile, kind of like a dog who hasn't done bitework in quite awhile, the first time back. But the gums will toughen up. I've known quite a few FR3's who had teeth pulled at different times, none had problems once everything finally healed up. Actually I was researching missing teeth a number of years ago and a K9 handler contacted me, his patrol dog was missing 8 teeth, various top and bottom premolars, and it never seemed to effect him.


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## Tanith Wheeler (Jun 5, 2009)

My Sch male is missing 4 incisors and it doesn't bother him.


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## Laney Rein (Feb 9, 2011)

My boxer of years ago had the same type growth on upper jaw. Was removed easily (although quite large prune size) and no teeth were removed and it healed nicely. So will wish you the same.


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## Jennifer Michelson (Sep 20, 2006)

Thanks everyone for the reassurances. 

Saw the dentist today and he is not impressed with the lump. He believes it is benign, will be easy to remove (it is the size of a small pea at this point) and probably isnt invasive. So now back to the first vet (dentist is 1hr away) who he believes can take care of it. 

So now to make another appointment for xray, removal and biopsy....and both vets want to do a full dental while he is out (kind of annoys me--his tarter is minor!).


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## Shawndra Drury (Jun 28, 2010)

Good luck!

Scout's missing a molar, doesn't bother her one bit. My parent's border collie is missing a canine and the surrounding couple of teeth, doesn't bother him either.


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## Rachel Kilburn (May 12, 2010)

My Mali is missing several teeth and it has yet to change his bite at all but thats a Mal for you :roll:


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