Breed Predisposition to Oral Disease: The Boxer Finale

Attrition:

• What is attrition?
• The wearing away of a tooth as a result of tooth-to-tooth contact
• What causes attrition?
• Malocclusions or “bad bites” which cause teeth to rub against other teeth
• In Boxers the maxillary incisors usually rub on the inner surface of the mandibular canines or incisors
• Is attrition the only cause of tooth wear?
• Tooth abrasion is the pathologic wearing away of the tooth by rubbing
•  Aggressive tooth brushing, bruxism (grinding teeth), excessive gnawing on fur, tennis balls and kennel doors can cause tooth abrasion
• Tooth fracture is the forceful breaking of a tooth as a result of trauma
• Hard objects and head injury usually cause tooth fractures.
• Tooth erosion is the loss of tooth surface caused by chemical action
• Excessive vomiting or home made diets high in acids can cause tooth erosion
• What effect does attrition have?
• Slow attrition causes the teeth to become shorter, have sharp edges and turn dark in color.
• Constant pressure may cause the pulp to become inflamed and kill the tooth.
• Rapid attrition causes pulp exposure, pulp infection and abscessed teeth.
• How is it diagnosed?
• Step 1: Know that all pure bred Boxers are “designed” to have a malocclusion. Attrition is a built-in certainty that comes with the breed.
• Step 2: Take dental radiographs to confirm that the teeth are still alive and healthy inside.
• How is it treated?



Maxillary incisors on mandibular canines

• If diagnosed early, inflamed pulp can be prevented by selective extraction of the teeth that are causing the trauma.
• If diagnosed late, any teeth that are infected should have root canal therapy or be surgically extracted.
• The worn teeth may also be sealed or restored with tooth colored fillings and metal crowns depending on how deep the attrition goes.