Bonjour!
I'm still trying to catch the back issues of FML...  So in response to:
 
Jim and Teddy: re: broken tooth...
     As you say that Teddy doesn't seem to have any discomfort and that
only 1/8 of the tooth is missing, you should not be anxious by now...  The
darker spot you see is just dentin who is now stained.  When a tooth
breaks without pulp exposition, a nociceptive reaction (pain) happens when
cold, hot or sweet things come in contact to the fresh exposed dentin.
But as the dentin becomes more mineralized with the mineral components of
the saliva, the incomfort decreases and no treatment needed (for ferret
not for human ;).  IF the pulp is exposed, an intolerable pain will take
place and you can see a small red spot (pulp) in the center of exposed
part of the broken tooth. Treatment should be done rapidly to avoid pain
and subsequent infection.  It can be: extraction (too radical...),
pulpotomy (partial ablation of the pulp, medication and filling) or root
canal treatment...  More and more vets have some knowledge about
dentistery and dentists can help for special treatment like root canal...
One of my collegue had performed a root canal treatment on an elephant!
The discoloration of the tooth may be due to 2 things.  1) internal
bleeding of the pulp due to the trauma (very frequent in young kids who
fall in the bath...) and in that case the tooth is still vital... no
treatment needed 2)  necrosis of the pulp with or without abcess.  If
there's no infection (abcess):  no problem as ferrets have a life
expectancy around 8 years.  If there's infection, treatments will be
again:  extraction or pulpotomy or root canal treatment.
    But again continue to keep an eye on that, the situation can change...
 
Sean and Velocity: re defanging
 
So on the subject of defanging a ferret, all the problems described
before can happen.  And as the teeth will be shorten by maybe more than
the half, the pulps will certainly be exposed with a result of pain and
subsequent infection.... :(
 
Kurt and Paddy: re bad breath
 
Bad breath can be caused by periodontal (gums) problem.  Maybe it's
time for a good dental check up and cleaning...
 
Rudy
        Hey Rudy, I feel completly stupid... What or who is Kilroy!?!
And thank you for your comment and wishes...:)
 
From norder US border...;)
 
             @-"-@              @---@               o__o
            ( 0-0 )            <=*"*=>             (. . )
---------oOO--\Y/--OOo------oOO--\o/--OOo------ooO--\v/--Ooo--------------
 
             Victor 8>          Hugo 8>           Adele :>
 
Anne Charbonneau        Faculte de medecine dentaire    Universite de Montreal
[log in to unmask]            Tel: (514) 343-5924
[log in to unmask]               Fax: (514) 343-2233
 
[Posted in FML issue 1241]