Vetnuus | November 2024 41 Regulars I Dental Column Why the difference in nomenclature you may ask? For me, as a clinician, the AVDC system does not recognise the early lesions, those where we can still try to save the tooth. Once the defect is such that a probe can pass nearly 50% under the tooth, the majority of those teeth will need extraction. Saving such a diseased tooth will require advanced periodontal surgery and very committed owners to save that tooth. Why then use a staging system where irrespective of the Stage, in most cases, the tooth will be extracted? Why extract a tooth with furcation involvement? This is a very poignant question and one that deserves an explanation. Periodontitis is the infection (and inflammation) of the periodontium. As soon as attachment loss is evident around a tooth it is very difficult to recover it. If this attachment (and bone) loss occurs in the furcation area, it becomes very difficult to keep the area clean – even for the most committed owner. As food and bacteria hide in this furcation area it exacerbates the infection and inflammation which, in turn, will aggravate the periodontitis. Eventually, this tooth will need extraction. v Veterinary Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery Referrals Veterinary Dentistry and Maxillofacial Clinic, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110 Veterinary Dentistry and Maxillofacial Clinic, Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Old Soutpan Road (M35), Onderstepoort, South Africa Tel: +27 (0)12 529 8276, Fax: +27 (0) 12 529 8479, e-mail: sadent@mweb.co.za, website: www.vetdentsa.co.za, Facebook: Vetdent SA Figure 4: A lateral radiograph of a dog’s mandibular 3rd and 4th premolar teeth as well as the 1st molar tooth, showing horizontal bone loss associated with periodontitis. The furcation areas of all three teeth are devoid of alveolar bone indicating a Stage 3 furcation involvement in all of them
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