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| PracTical DenTisTry Today's Veterinary Practice May/June 2014 98 tvpjournal.com Composite restoration is the most effective way to accomplish these goals (Figure 3), and it also improves tooth appearance. However, this therapy only provides a small amount of strength. Crown therapy can be performed if damage is severe and the client is in- terested in a permanent correction (Figure 4). 1 Smoothing and bonded sealant application can be considered for minor areas of disease or nonstrategic teeth, and in patients whose owners have fi- nancial concerns (Figure 5). For more information on this procedure, see Bonded Sealant Application for Crown Fractures (July/August 2011), avail- able at tvpjournal.com . Extraction may be performed, but it is generally not recommended. Figure 2. Dental pictures of (A) left maxillary canine (204) of dog with localized hypoplasia, and (B) left maxilla in dog with generalized enamel hypocalcification. A B PERTINENT TOOTH ANATOMY 6,12 ENAMEL The tooth crown is protected by a thin shell of enamel. enamel thick- ness in cats and dogs varies from approximately 0.1 mm to 1 mm. 16 PuLP Tooth pulp is a soft tissue that contains blood vessels, nerves (sensory only), and other types of cells, including odontoblasts, fibroblasts, and fibrocytes. blood enters the tooth through the apical delta, along with the nerve bundles. DENTIN Dentin is arranged in tubules—these extend from the pulp to either the area where dentin and enamel meet (dentinoenamel junction) or the root where cementum and enamel meet (cementoenamel junction). Dentinal tubules are filled with fluid and odontoblastic tendrils, which are cytoplasmic extensions of odontoblasts. These tubules are major pathways for dif- fusion of material across dentin—a concept known as dentin permeability. 17 DENTIN–PuLP COMPLEx Due to the interdependent relationship between pulp and dentin, these two tissues are best considered as one entity: the den- tin–pulp complex. Pulp and dentin function as one unit because odontoblasts, which line the pulp cavity wall, project their extensions into dentin. also, odontoblasts are respon- sible for formation of dentin. in turn, pulp tis- sue is dependent on dentin for protection. Figure 3. Composite restoration applied to the tooth in Figure 2A. Figure 4. Cast metal crown applied to left mandibular canine (304) in dog with significant localized hypoplasia. Figure 5. Dental picture of right side of a dog's mouth, following full- mouth bonded sealant application for generalized enamel hypocalcification. Figure. Medical illustration of a maxillary canine in a dog TVP_2014_0506_PD_HardTissue-Periodontal.indd 98 5/23/2014 6:35:51 PM