Tooth Update

Several things have happened since Speedy got his tooth pulled. The first thing was that he was immediately better about taking his daily Prascend tablet. The ranch owner reported that he was very relaxed and didn't do the my head is taller than you can reach dance. This is an enormous relief because it is the ranch owner who volunteers to administer the pill. Without her help, he probably wouldn't get it every single day. 

Recently pulled on the left, baby tooth on the right. Both Speedy's.

As an aside, I don't remember how or where I found the baby tooth, but I thought it was cute, so I saved it. The adult tooth, an incisor, is interesting in its own way. If you'll look at the top quarter of the tooth, there is a chip out of the left side. That's the notch that Dr. Tolley carved to hold the wire in place so that it wouldn't slide down.

The rough edge at the bottom of the tooth shows where it fractured. The other side is completely smooth. The colors on top of both teeth show the enamel, cementum, and dentine. Remember, I geek out on this type of stuff! 

Image borrowed from the internet.

​But back to Speedy ...

Even though he was never in obvious pain, there must have been some discomfort having a fractured tooth. I had been able to carefully bridle him and ride while the tooth was wired to its neighbor. He never fussed more than normal, but since the tooth came out, he has been easier to bridle. 

The hole is just under his tongue to the immediate right of the bottom tooth.

I've been able to rub my finger over the empty socket. He doesn't love it, but he's not a fan of me poking my fingers in his mouth as a general rule. Putting my fingers in his mouth typically means something unpleasant is coming. It's a Pavlovian response, for sure.

Dr. Tolley said it would take about three weeks to heal completely. It's been a week, and already it looks super healthy without any infection. He's eating better and has been grazing since the day the tooth was pulled. For now, it's healing well which is all I can ask for.

I am just glad it wasn't a middle tooth!