Which statement best describes the goals and basic steps of endodontic therapy in veterinary dentistry?

• A. Goals: remove infected pulp, disinfect canal, and obturate to seal; steps: access, chemomechanical debridement, shaping, disinfection, obturation, final restoration
• B. Goals: extract tooth; steps: anesthesia only
• C. Goals: whiten tooth; steps: bleaching
• D. Goals: extract all teeth; steps: scaling

Answer: (A)

Endodontic therapy in veterinary dentistry aims to save a tooth by removing infected tissue inside the pulp, thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the root canal system, and then sealing the canal to prevent reinfection, followed by restoring the tooth to function. The process begins with creating access to the pulp chamber, followed by chemomechanical debridement that combines mechanical instrumentation with irrigants to remove debris and kill bacteria. The canal is then shaped and further disinfected, after which the space is obturated with a sealing material (often gutta-percha with sealer) to create a hermetic seal. A final restoration is placed to protect the treated tooth from microleakage and stress in function.

This is why the other statements aren’t appropriate: they describe extraction, whitening, or removal of teeth rather than treating the tooth’s pulp and canal system.