# Enamel Hypoplasia?



## RachelsaurusRexU (Sep 4, 2010)

Does anybody have experience with canine enamel hypoplasia? I can't find a whole lot online about this condition, and I'm not sure what my options are with Guinness, whose teeth (all of them) and now eating habits are affected by it. 

About a month ago, she had ACL surgery. I asked the vet to try and get a really good look at her mouth while she was under. Unfortunately, he squeezed us into an already crammed surgery schedule immediately after diagnosing her torn ACL and didn't end up looking at her teeth for me. She's one of those dogs who's pretty much a wreck at the vet and just desperately wants OUT (even sedated), so he's never been able to get a good look in there. This is the only surgery she's ever had aside from her spay, and her permanent teeth were pretty new at that point, so this ACL repair really was the prime opportunity for him to thoroughly assess. I don't feel comfortable having her anesthetized JUST for him to look. Blah. Is there even anything that CAN be done? 

It's never seemed to cause her any pain, but it has gotten tough for her to eat certain items. I just started having to grind her food. She'll still strip beef ribs and eat chunks of boneless whatever, but RMBs and whole fish will now be ground for her.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

How was she diagnosed? It doesn't seem like, from what you say, she's had an official diagnosis. Are you sure it's hypoplasia?

This petMD page says this:
_
Diagnosis
Discolored teeth may be found by your veterinarian during a routine physical exam, which normally includes a complete oral exam. Intraoral radiographs (X-rays) can then be taken by your veterinarian to determine if the roots of the teeth are still alive._

Treatment involves physical intervention with the teeth, bonding etc.

Tooth Enamel Malformation in Dogs | PetMD


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## Mokapi (Apr 7, 2011)

I work in the dental field so I know what the human equivalent is, and if the dentin or roots are exposed, then they are sensitive and certain things will cause that sharp pain. Dentin is softer than enamel, and is the layer before the root surface, and is exponentially more sensitive than enamel. Enamel is the strongest thing in your body, so when hypocalcification is present, that means that the teeth aren't as strong or as protected. It's an easy fix (in humans); microabrasian/possible bleaching in areas of aesthetic concern. If the hypoplasia is significant and the enamel is breaking down, cavities will form. In a human, you'd get a filling or a crown. In a dog, fillings (either amalgam/silver or composite resin/white) and crowns are also options. In dogs especially, if the effects aren't too bad, usually they'll just do fluoride treatments. Fluoride helps reduce sensitivity. 

In humans, sensitivity triggers are usually classified in two ways: hot/cold (temperature), and biting (occlusal). I don't REALLY know if everything dental-wise works about the same in dogs, but if it does you might consider feeding her food lukewarm/more on the just-warm side in case it's temperature sensitivity and grind it up (like you're doing) for the biting sensitivity. 

Just my 0.2$.  Again, I just work with human dental issues, so my knowledge on doggie dental work is fairly limited.


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## RachelsaurusRexU (Sep 4, 2010)

Well, that's been our collective guess based on what he has been able to see and what I see, have described to him and compared to pictures I've found. I mean, this began just after her permanent teeth came in. Every one of her teeth are now discolored (definitely not tartar, they're actually clean) some are slightly worn, some are very worn, and it's obvious to see that when she opens her mouth to pant, etc. It's just that he hasn't been able to put his hands in there to really get a good hard look at all of them. I *really* wish he'd done it while she was in for surgery. He hadn't ever seemed overly concerned about it and some info I've found says that it's merely cosmetic and shouldn't affect chewing and the like. However, it sort of seems to me that it now is, so now I'm beginning to be a bit more concerned by this. She's always been a "picky" eater, and I'm wondering if this could be why


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## Mokapi (Apr 7, 2011)

It normally is just cosmetic (in humans at least) but if there are areas of actual breakdown then there would be cavities, and they would eventually be painful. You would be able to see the cavities, typically; usually it takes some progressing of the decay before noticeable sensitivity occurs and by that time they would be brown dots (sometimes they can look like serious brown staining in the pits, but other times they can be large enough for you to know that staining wouldn't occur that dark and that large in such isolated areas of the tooth), probably on the biting surfaces of her teeth.


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## RachelsaurusRexU (Sep 4, 2010)

Mokapi said:


> I work in the dental field so I know what the human equivalent is, and if the dentin or roots are exposed, then they are sensitive and certain things will cause that sharp pain. Dentin is softer than enamel, and is the layer before the root surface, and is exponentially more sensitive than enamel. Enamel is the strongest thing in your body, so when hypocalcification is present, that means that the teeth aren't as strong or as protected. It's an easy fix (in humans); microabrasian/possible bleaching in areas of aesthetic concern. If the hypoplasia is significant and the enamel is breaking down, cavities will form. In a human, you'd get a filling or a crown. In a dog, fillings (either amalgam/silver or composite resin/white) and crowns are also options. In dogs especially, if the effects aren't too bad, usually they'll just do fluoride treatments. Fluoride helps reduce sensitivity.
> 
> In humans, sensitivity triggers are usually classified in two ways: hot/cold (temperature), and biting (occlusal). I don't REALLY know if everything dental-wise works about the same in dogs, but if it does you might consider feeding her food lukewarm/more on the just-warm side in case it's temperature sensitivity and grind it up (like you're doing) for the biting sensitivity.
> 
> Just my 0.2$.  Again, I just work with human dental issues, so my knowledge on doggie dental work is fairly limited.


LOL I can't even imagine how much this will cost me. I really hate to have her anesthetized again, too. Sighhhh.....


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## RachelsaurusRexU (Sep 4, 2010)

Mokapi said:


> It normally is just cosmetic (in humans at least) but if there are areas of actual breakdown then there would be cavities, and they would eventually be painful. You would be able to see the cavities, typically; usually it takes some progressing of the decay before noticeable sensitivity occurs and by that time they would be brown dots (sometimes they can look like serious brown staining in the pits, but other times they can be large enough for you to know that staining wouldn't occur that dark and that large in such isolated areas of the tooth), probably on the biting surfaces of her teeth.


Gotcha, okay, I'm going to get a good look in there tonight for cavities. Is this something for which I should seek out a specialist?


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## Mokapi (Apr 7, 2011)

RachelsaurusRexU said:


> Gotcha, okay, I'm going to get a good look in there tonight for cavities. Is this something for which I should seek out a specialist?


Tooth cavities in dogs

^ That link has pictures of cavities on dog teeth...might give you something to look for. 

As for the specialist...I think I would call my normal vet first, to see if it's something routine that they do, but if it's not something that they deal with on at least a weekly basis then I would try and find an actual dentist for him. Less amount of experience your vet has = more amount of time under and money that might cost your dog and yourself, respectively. I'd feel more comfortable with a dentist myself, just because your normal prophy that a vet can give doesn't require actually cleaning out and filling a cavity.


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## RachelsaurusRexU (Sep 4, 2010)

Oh wow. Thanks for the link! You've been incredibly helpful and Guinness and I very much appreciate it!


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## Mokapi (Apr 7, 2011)

No problem! Glad I could help!


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