This is why we believe dental x-ray is so important. It is estimated that among pets that have had teeth removed, about 80-90% of them have retained roots. This means that the root of the tooth was broken off during extraction and accidentally left behind. We know from experience that this is quite easy to do and the only way to verify complete removal of a root tip is by x-raying the area.
Why does this matter?
Well, a small percentage of these retained root tips will abscess, causing pain, bone loss, and possibly even jaw fracture. Here’s an example of a kitty we worked on a few weeks ago that had severe inflammation in her mouth, in part due to many retained roots:
