As our new year gets into full swing, many of us have had time to reflect on our goals. As we strive for continuous self-improvement, without an objective frame of reference for which to judge ourselves, we may end up being too harsh. The same can be said of judging success and failure with each case that we treat—what are our appropriate outcome measures? In this issue, Dr. John Innes takes a critical look at this topic, with some answers for us to introduce into our daily practice. Patient-reported outcome measures are used by human medicine clinicians to inform treatment decisions independently of patient consultations. In veterinary medicine, we can use client-reported outcome measures in similar ways, such as to address concerns with therapy. This increased awareness could prompt us to explore problems identified by the owner or simply recognize that we are doing all that we can, which in our own lives should be considered a glorious success!
What We’re Reading
In each issue, a member of our Editorial Advisory Board will share a recent open access publication, including their key takeaways and its practical conclusion.
The Anatomic Relationship Between the Mandibular First Molar Roots and the Mandibular Canal Based on Breed Size and Skull Type
Greene E, Rendahl A, Goldschmidt S
doi:10.3389/fvets.2022.956976
What was investigated? This study aimed to identify associations between patient weight and skull type with mandibular first molar tooth root location. The mandibular first molar roots were categorized as lingual, buccal, or dorsal relative to the mandibular canal. In total, 176 skulls and 704 roots were evaluated.
What was found?
- 50% of all roots evaluated were located lingual to the mandibular canal.
- Lingual root location is relatively more common in normocephalic dogs less than 13.6 kg and in large-breed brachycephalic dogs, particularly boxers.
- Regardless of skull type, as size increased, the frequency of buccal and lingual roots decreased, and the frequency of dorsal roots increased.
Take-Home Points
- It is important to consider the location of the roots relative to the mandibular canal when creating an intraoperative plan for surgical removal of the mandibular first molar.
- The risk of iatrogenic complications during surgical extraction of the mandibular first molar is highest with the lingual root location.
- Buccal bone should not be removed apical to the dorsal aspect of the mandibular canal in small-breed dogs and large brachiocephalic dogs.
— Cindy Charlier, DVM, DAVDC
Today’s Veterinary Practice Welcomes Article Submissions
The Today’s Veterinary Practice team welcomes manuscript and article topic submissions for upcoming issues. Prospective authors are welcome to recommend articles based on undercovered topics in the literature or practical skills and takeaways that would benefit the readership. TVP covers everything from in-depth CE reviews to case-based essentials to trends that affect all members of the veterinary community. For more information on TVP’s publication standards, visit todaysveterinarypractice.com/publication-standards and email journal.submissions@navc.com in the recommended submission format.