Dentistry & Oral Care
A dental cleaning is done for our pets in exactly the same way it is done for us, except that our pets are placed under general anesthesia. Our furry friends just wouldn’t sit still for the time it takes to do a thorough cleaning of their teeth both above and below the gum-line. As much as we wish our pets would listen when we say “open up your mouth and keep it open until we are done cleaning,” they just would never cooperate for the time it takes to perform an adequate cleaning. Also, depending on the level of dental disease present, the sub-gingival scaling of the teeth that is necessary for a proper cleaning could be uncomfortable for your pet if they were awake.
Signs Your Pet Needs a Dental
Stinky and smelly breath, brown or discolored teeth, excessive drooling, chattering teeth, not eating, and/or missing teeth or blood in your pet’s mouth are often signs that they have developed dental disease and that your pet needs a dental cleaning. Bring your family cat or dog in during our regular business hours for a no cost dental evaluation with one of our technicians as displayed on our coupons page. They can assess your pet’s oral health and determine what grade periodontal disease and grade of tartar your pet is experiencing. If we find that your pet has extensive dental disease, a full examination with one of our veterinarians will be recommended (at our normal exam cost) so that any oral concerns can be addressed and, if needed, antibiotics can be prescribed to begin prior to the dental cleaning. This is also a great opportunity for you to discuss any other disease conditions present with your pet.
20 Step Professional Dental Cleaning for Dogs and Cats
Our low cost full anesthetic dental cleaning provides complete care for your pet during their procedure. The morning of surgery you will meet with your pet’s surgery nurse to complete surgery admission paperwork. Your cat or dog will then have a pre-anesthetic exam where we take pre-surgical vitals including temperature, heart rate, pulse strength while also looking over your pet for any other conditions that need to be addressed during their visit. An intravenous (IV) catheter is put in place and blood work is run to ensure there are no underlying medical factors that would make anesthesia less safe for your pet. While your pet is being induced for anesthesia a sedative and pain injection are administered, IV fluids are also attached to your pet. IV Fluids help to keep their blood pressure steady, hydrate your pet, and can ease their recovery after anesthesia. While your pet is sedated they also have continual monitoring both with medical monitoring equipment and with their technician. Their teeth are cleaned much like any human dentist does with ultrasonic scaling, sub-gingival curettage, charting, x-ray / CT, polishing and a fluoride treatment. Once the procedure is complete, your pet is then monitored during recovery and their dental charting is completed. When you come to pick your fur-kid up we will go over any home care instructions and medications with you. Our complete 20 step dental cleaning is only $442!
The first step in a dental cleaning is to remove the dental calculus, also known as tartar, from the surface of the tooth. This is done by the use of an ultrasonic scaler, which essentially vibrates the tartar off of the teeth. Then, plaque and tartar are removed from beneath the gums. At this point your pet’s teeth are examined with a special dental probe to see if there are any indications of issues beneath the surface of the tooth. We chart your pet’s entire mouth. This charting allows us to monitor problems over time.
If any deep pockets are found, or if there are loose or broken teeth, we utilize specialized digital dental x-rays and Computed Tomography (CT) to evaluate teeth for evidence of disease including abscesses of the root, bone loss, trauma, cancer, etc. Our advanced CT machine is utilized prior to the dental cleaning to obtain an entire scan of your pet’s mouth in under 5 minutes versus the traditional method of dental x-rays which can take a significant longer period of time to obtain full-mouth x-rays. CT allows us to reduce the amount of time your pet is under anesthesia by speeding up the process by which dental disease is diagnosed. In doing this, our doctors are able to visualize all of the teeth including the bone of the jaw and other structures to help them diagnose various diseases of the mouth. Dental x-rays may be taken in other situations in which confirmation is needed when a tooth has been extracted to ensure no root fragments are left behind. Understanding the extent of the disease of the tooth enables us to save teeth that we might have previously extracted. Since incorporating our CT with our dental cleaning package, we have seen an increased detection of dental disease by a large percentage. Pets that need extractions are commonly sent home on pain medications and antibiotics.
After the teeth are cleaned the enamel surface is polished with a prophy-paste that helps to slow down future plaque build up. Removing the plaque is an important part of the cleaning since plaque and tartar contain bacteria. If not removed from under the gum line, bacteria can cause infection of the gum, called gingivitis, that can progress to periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is a painful condition that ultimately can lead to bone loss and eventually tooth loss (either by falling out or by extraction). We then apply a barrier sealant to the tooth to help delay tartar build up.
Regular and thorough cleanings are a big part of preventing gingivitis and periodontal disease! Studies show that long term oral disease can contribute to kidney and heart disease.
Dental cleanings are considered surgical procedures due to the use of anesthesia.
We perform all of our procedures with dedicated and trained technicians who personally oversee and chart your animal’s progress while under anesthesia. Every animal is examined by the doctor prior to start of the procedure on the day of surgery to ensure they are healthy enough to undergo the anesthetic procedure. The doctor then customizes an anesthetic and pain management protocol depending on your pet’s special needs. We utilize safe and modern pain management to ensure our patients are comfortable after their cleaning. Animals are continuously monitored to ensure their breathing, pulse, and blood pressure remain safe. In addition, pets are placed on intravenous fluids to stabilize blood pressure, maintain hydration and give us immediate access to their circulatory system in case of a problem during anesthesia. Fluids also help to speed up the elimination of the anesthetic through their system which leads to a faster and smoother recovery after their procedure.
