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Although our specialty college is named American Veterinary Dental College, a significant part of our training and practice area is in veterinary oral surgery. Diagnosing and operating oral tumors, and maxillary and mandibular fractures is a regular part of our practice. If you would like help with cases involving oral tumors or fractures, Dr. Kellner is here to help.
In addition to our significant training and experience, we often utilize CT for imaging and surgical piezotome, which has shown to be beneficial for many oral tumor excisions.
Common oral tumors treated in dogs are peripheral odontogenic fibromas, acanthomatous ameloblastomas, squamous cell carcinomas, malignant melanomas, and fibrosarcomas. In cats, squamous cell carcinomas and pyogenic granulomas are common.
Diagnostic evaluation typically includes a thorough oral exam under general anesthesia, intraoral radiographs, and CT scans of the head and generally the neck and chest to allow for full tumor staging, as well as tumor biopsy or excision and lymph node aspiration or excision.
For suspected malignant tumors, an initial incisional biopsy is typically performed, and then, guided by histopathology findings, definitive surgery is planned. Common surgeries include mandibulectomies and maxillectomies of various extents, utilizing surgical piezotome when indicated. The piezotome is often beneficial and can reduce complications and expedite healing.
Fracture management includes diagnostic intraoral radiographs and often head CT, followed by fracture stabilization, utilizing a variety of approaches, often including minimally invasive stabilization (wire-reinforced acrylic splints, modified labial buttons, and interfragmentary wire). Feeding tubes (esophagostomy) are placed as needed for nutrition management during fracture healing.
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