As you can see in this series of photos, it can be very hard to see what is happening underneath the tarter on the teeth. In this dog's case, the fractured teeth were not visible until the tarter had been scaled from the crowns of the teeth. There was pulp exposure in these teeth, which means that the live nerves and blood vessels on the inside of the teeth were open to bacterial invasion. The bacteria travel to the tip of the tooth root, and set up an abscess in the bone surrounding the root. From here, bacteria get into the blood stream and travel to your pet's joints and internal organs, causing more damage over time. Since pets are very good at hiding pain, many pet owners never know there is a problem with their pet's teeth by their pets' behavior at home. Many pet owners tell us that after their pet's bad teeth have been removed, that their pet acts like a much younger, happier dog at home again!