Lingual approach for surgical extraction of the mandibular canine tooth in dogs and cats.

A lingual approach for surgical extraction of the mandibular canine tooth was developed based on anatomic observations of tissues and structures of the rostral mandible and lingual orientation of the mandibular canine tooth root. Measurements of the lingual and buccal aspects of the alveolus indicated similar quantities of bone required for alveolectomy to expose the tooth root. The surgical procedure was performed in 12 dogs and four cats with no complications reported during the follow-up period.