Dentistry

A Keystone of Wellness

Dentistry

A Keystone of Wellness

Why Dentistry Matters

Dental disease affects the overall health of your pet. The obvious benefits of a healthy mouth – better breath and whiter teeth – are easy to appreciate, but we want our clients to realize that chronic pain and infection in the mouth can lead to complications involving the heart, lung and kidneys.

Preparing for a Cleaning

We provide exceptional dental care for pets. As with any of the anesthetic procedures we offer, the first step is making sure your pet is in good health. We do this through a pre-anesthetic exam, a thorough blood-chemistry screen, and a CBC (complete blood count). If any abnormalities are found we can then tailor a health care plan for your pet.

Since animals, unlike most of us, must be fully sedated to have their teeth radiographed and cleaned, extra precautions are always taken at our clinic. All pets have an IV catheter in place and are intubated with an endotracheal tube. These measures provide safe and smooth induction and recovery. They also allow faster response in case of emergency. The inhalant gas that we use to maintain anesthesia is Sevoflurane – often used in human medicine. There are less expensive products, but Sevoflurane is the safest.

A Thorough Approach

While under anesthesia your pet’s vital statistics are monitored by a technician using state of the art monitors. IV fluids are run continually to keep your pet hydrated and to support kidney function. Pets are kept warm and comfortable on a heated water pad and covered with blankets.

A Dental Prophylaxis is a thorough examination and cleaning of the teeth and gums. In every Prophylaxis (prophy) stage 2-5, we take full-mouth digital x-rays. What we can see under the gum-line is amazing. We can often detect and treat potential problem areas before they become serious. We chart the periodontal condition of the entire mouth in your pet’s medical records. Then the actual cleaning begins. Just like in human dentistry, we clean teeth through a combination of hand scalers, electronic scalers, and polishers. If the doctor feels fluoride application is warranted we apply it.

A Better Life

Our goal is for your pet to keep a healthy mouthful of teeth for his or her entire life. Some cats and dogs are predisposed to dental disease. Smaller dog breeds are often prone to accumulating calculus on their teeth. But toothbrushing at home with appropriate veterinary products is great for any pet that will safely tolerate it. In the unfortunate event that the doctor decides a tooth must be extracted, we go to great lengths to keep this procedure as painless as possible. Local numbing, and other longer lasting analgesics are administered. We also send home pain medication and if warranted, antibiotics for your pet.

We take great pride in making your pet’s “prophy” visit as stress-free and pleasant as possible. With all the progress taking place in veterinary medicine, our pets are living longer, healthier lives. Keeping up on their dental health can play a huge part in keeping our furry “family” members at their best throughout their whole life!