Broken teeth are common. They are caused by chewing on hard objects, such as stones and hard bones, by catching the teeth on the wire of kennels and cages, or by trauma.
Treatment: If the fracture involves only the enamel, the tooth is not painful and no treatment is necessary. However, a break in the crown that extends into the dental pulp can be extremely painful, and the dog may become depressed and refuse to eat. Restorative dentistry or extraction of the tooth will be necessary to prevent an abscessed root. Along with a root canal, a crown may be made to replace the damaged tooth. These can be made of metal or a new ceramic. This is most commonly done for working dogs such as police dogs. Dogs may not compete in conformation competition with a crowned tooth.