Dental Exams

"Your Pet Needs a Dental"

What does that mean?
It has probably happened to you or someone you know.  You take your pet to the veterinarian; they look at your pets teeth and tell you your pet needs a dental.  A price is often quoted and either you make an appointment or because you are confused and worried about the risks you don’t make the appointment and go on your way.  This guide will help you understand what is being recommended and why.

What is a dental?
Veterinarians are guilty of using a shorthand way of describing a procedure that is very important to your pet’s health and should encompass a group of diagnostic procedures and medical procedures that improve your pet’s health and relieve oral pain.

Anesthesia:  Almost everybody cites anesthesia as their biggest concern and number one reason to not pursue dental work.  It is natural to be concerned about your pet and there is some risk with anesthesia but if you do not have dental work done in a timely manner your pet could suffer with infection, constant pain, some types of heart disease, and some cases of kidney disease as a result of their dental disease.  Many will die as a result of complications from what started as a simple dental problem.  There is much lower risk of serious anesthesia complications than the risk of serious complications from untreated dental disease.  Lakewood Animal Hospital is also concerned about anesthesia and using good technique reduces the risk substantially.

Oral Examination:  You may think this was already done on your initial visit but nothing replaces the veterinarian examining the oral cavity when you pet is under anesthesia. This important step is often left to an assistant or technician who then alerts the veterinarian to any abnormality.  At Lakewood Animal Hospital we believe that a veterinarian should give a complete oral examination before any procedures are performed.

Dental Scaling:  This is the removal of the tartar (a yellowish-brown crust) and calculus (off white mineralized crust) from the teeth.  The visible tooth is scaled as well as under the gum where the most dangerous disease hides.  According to where you are working on the tooth, scaling is done with an ultrasonic scaler or hand instruments.

Polishing:  Using a low speed handpiece and dental paste the teeth are polished to remove microscopic irregularities in the tooth surface to prevent even faster build up of tartar than occurred before the dental scaling.

The above constitutes a ‘routine dental’ but a majority of patients need more than the above care.  Below is listed additional care that may be recommended to provide your pet with the best care.

Dental Radiographs (X-Rays): Dental disease occurs under the gum line.  That is why your dentist does radiographs and that is why your pet needs them.  It can help us tell when your pet needs an extraction or when the tooth can be saved.  A tooth that needs extraction due to a root abscess that is not visible to the naked eye could be left behind to cause your pet unnecessary pain and discomfort. Dental radiographs can also find early disease that would allow treatment other than extraction.

Extractions:  Extractions are an unfortunate reality when periodontal disease has gone beyond a certain point.  Extractions can be traumatic if good technique and instrumentation is not used.  At Lakewood Animal Hospital we have invested in high speed drills and advanced hand tools in order to make extractions easier on your pet.

For additional information about Dental Care for your pets, visit Oral ATP by clicking on the logo below!