Mitzi's Dental Care

Mitzi went under for a teeth cleaning yesterday and they had to extract three teeth. My poor baby! It looks like they removed one of her fangs! :( I'm kinda bummed about that, as her teeth are so tiny and cute and I loved that little snaggle fang. The invoice/report gave teeth numbers, but the silly clerks at the vet's office could not tell me exactly which teeth were removed.

I'm looking for a numbered map of a cat's teeth - kind of like your dentist has in your dental chart. Is there such a thing available online?

Mitzi seems fine and very happy that she's on wet food for the next week. Mishi is liking that too :rolleyes: silly goof, keeps trying to steal her food! She was SO stoned last night as the anesthesia wore off and then I gave her a bit of the pain meds as I didn't want my little girl hurting.

Mishi was such a gentle, kind nurse to her. It was SO cute seeing him sniffing her - yes she smelled different, but he knew it was his sister and she was hurting. He very gently gave her a licking. I just sat there in awe of all the cuteness of that kitty love and devotion. Sorry no pictures; I just sat there with a goofy grin on my face watching my two special fur children loving each other :)

That was wonderful of Mishi to be so loving and adorable to his sister. I am amazed. My poor Sammy has had several teeth out at once and I was really upset about it too. She wasn't happy and it took her a few weeks before she was back to normal.

I have never been able to find a map of cat's teeth. My vet showed me one which marked the teeth that Sam had had removed, but it was the one they kept for their records, so she wouldn't give it to me.

Poor Mitzi! Hopefully she's healing fast and this will be a distant memory.

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Sorry no pictures; I just sat there with a goofy grin on my face watching my two special fur children loving each other

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That's so cute about Mishi. Whhaa...I want a sister or brother for Nakita so I can share similar stories. ;)

Nakita goes in for her teeth cleaning on Monday. Hope she won't need any extractions! :eek:

I found this chart. It is not very in depth but maybe it can help a little. here it is

EDIT: to say found another that is nice. Here is the link

Thanks for the charts. That is helpful however there are no number references - they had numbers like M1, P3 and 4 or something like that (left the invoice at home). I'll see if I can get anything out of the vet's office.

It's not the first time Mitzi has had extractions. When I first adopted her she needed her teeth cleaned so badly and I think they extracted one or two then. At this rate, the poor dear will be gumming her food in her old age! :rolleyes:

I hope Nakita's dental appointment is uneventful and that she bounces back quickly.

I don't exactly know the proper words for each but I know where they are in the mouth.

The ones in the from are I (incisors)
The fangs are C (canines)
The ones just behind the fangs are P (pre molars)
and the ones at the back of the mouth are M (molars)

And I believe the numbers are counted from the center of the mouth and then back on either the left or right side...top or bottom.

So if Mitzi had M1 taken that is the first of the big teeth in the back (like our molars)
If she had P3 & 4 taken then those are the third and forth teeth behind the fang. It should say somewhere whether it was the right or left side and whether it was top or bottom.

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Originally Posted by RedHedd

The invoice/report gave teeth numbers, but the silly clerks at the vet's office could not tell me exactly which teeth were removed.

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The clerks were not silly, they simply did not have the schooling/degree required to know the names/numbers of all the teeth. Unless I'm assisting in the actual dentistries I couldn't tell an owner for sure either. I don't know the proper names or numbering but when I'm assisting I can at least point out which teeth were removed. The boss puts in the dentistry invoices himself so we don't even have anything to do with that part either.

I don't know about every vet office but at least where I work, the people at the desk/answering phones are not vets or vet techs, just simply receptionists or vet assistants filling in.

Glad Mitzi is doing ok now. If she had 'wobbly' or root exposed teeth she's better off in the long run without them. Loose teeth or exposed roots hurt alot.

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Originally Posted by Killearn Kitties

My vet showed me one which marked the teeth that Sam had had removed, but it was the one they kept for their records, so she wouldn't give it to me.

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We have a similar unnumbered 'map' that the vets use for multiple extractions (3 or more) however ours has a carbon copy so the owner can have a copy if they want.
Even if we didn't there's still always the copy machine.

OK I'm home and have the invoice and it says Upper Molar 1, Upper premolar 4 and lower premolar 3. Is the "fang" (canine tooth) the Upper Molar 1?

Mitzi's being pissy - she hates being medicated - <sigh> which I guess means she's feeling pretty good physically; at least enough to give me tortietude!

My vet's office is woefully understaffed and the vet assistants (who are trained and very experienced) are answering phones, checking in cats, filling prescriptions, etc. as well as doing actual vet tech work - it's a very disorganized. The vets are pretty good. Mainly I go there because it's convenient - half a block away from my apartment, and less stressful on the cats as I don't have to take them on a car trip across town.

As far as I knew the 'fang' is called a canine tooth (whether or not it's on an actual canine or feline lol). I'll have to look that one up myself and get back to ya', but I believe a molar is a back chewing tooth.


**Edit***

According to this website

Dogs have a total of 42 permanent teeth consisting of:
3 upper and 3 lower incisors, 1 upper and 1 lower canine, 4 upper and 4 lower premolars and 2 upper and 3 lower molars (Incisors: 3/3, Canines: 1/1, Premolars: 4/4, Molars: 2/3) on each side.

Cats have a total of 30 permanent teeth consisting of:
3 upper and 3 lower incisors, 1 upper and 1 lower canine, 3 upper and 2 lower premolars and 1 upper and 1 lower molar (Incisors: 3/3, Canines: 1/1, Premolars: 3/2, Molars: 1/1) on each side.

I could not find a tooth 'map' that was numbered either.

My poor Mitzi. The vet's office faxed me her report this morning. My poor little girl has only three intact teeth remaining on her upper right side and is missing four others (three in front; one lower left. I know she had a couple extracted a few years ago when she last had her teeth cleaned). They didn't take the canine (kitty fang ;) ) which I did notice this morning when I was giving her her meds (I'm in the doghouse with Mitzi right now because of this).

I wonder why her right side is so bad? The front and left portions of her mouth seem to be fine.

Now it's a daily battle to give her her meds. When I do this, she immediately goes and hides for hours. I have to fight with Mishi to stay away from Mitzi's wet food - I can watch when I'm home, but when I'm not there I don't want Mitzi starving - so now he's getting tired of me telling him No, when he tries to get to Mitzi's food. I keep telling myself, this too shall pass. In a week or so everything will be back to normal. It will, right? :confused: :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by RedHedd

I wonder why her right side is so bad? The front and left portions of her mouth seem to be fine.

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It could be genetics (Jack had to have his first dentistry at only 1 1/2 years old, Dusty didn't until she was 14 yrs old, and they both eat basically the same foods)

Or it could be that's the side she prefers to chew on most often causing more food to stick to her teeth/gums on that side.

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Originally Posted by RedHedd

I keep telling myself, this too shall pass. In a week or so everything will be back to normal. It will, right? :confused: :rolleyes:

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I'm sure once you're done with the meds for a while Mitzi will forgive you and maybe even thank you that her mouth doesn't bother her anymore! :)