Maxillary Extractions in Cats
Mark M. Smith, VMD, DACVS, DAVDC, AVDC and ACVS Founding Fellow of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Center for Veterinary Dentistry & Oral Surgery, Gaithersburg, Maryland
Full-mouth tooth extraction is indicated in cats that have stomatitis, generalized tooth resorption, and/or severe periodontal disease. Each tooth, including the entirety of the root, must be completely removed. Surgical extraction requires familiarity with the following techniques:
Mucoperiosteal flap development
Buccal bone removal (ie, alveolectomy)
Crown sectioning of multirooted teeth
Crown–root segment elevation and removal
Removal and contouring of rough bone margins (ie, osteoplasty) at extraction sites
Debridement of diseased periodontal tissue
Lavage of extraction sites with dilute chlorhexidine
Mobilization of mucoperiosteal flaps
Wound apposition using absorbable suture in a simple interrupted pattern
The following images show full-mouth tooth extraction in the maxillary quadrant of cats.
FIGURE 1
Right maxillary arcade with the patient in dorsal recumbency. Extraction of all teeth was recommended to treat periodontal disease and tooth resorption.