Exodontia, more commonly known as extraction, is the most common oral surgery performed in cats and dogs.
Teeth may need to be extracted for many reasons. The most common reason for extraction is due to periodontally diseased teeth. Other reasons for exodontia include persistent deciduous teeth, teeth causing trauma to areas within the oral cavity, crowded teeth, discolored teeth and fractured teeth.
Extraction of compromised teeth allows the pet to have a pain free oral cavity.
Additional Conditions of the Oral Cavity that Require Surgery
- Oral nasal fistula is an opening from the oral cavity to the nasal cavity that requires surgical closure. Palatal defects that animals can acquire through trauma or be congenitally born with also need to be corrected surgically.
- More advanced surgeries are partial or complete mandibulectomies (removal of all or part of the lower jaw) and maxillectomies (removal of all or part of the upper jaw) due to oral tumors.
Dog’s and cat’s lives can be extended with the complete excision of oral masses.