Services | Dental Care
Just as our own teeth need taking care of, so do those of our furry friends. One of the most serious problems found in veterinary medicine today in dogs and cats is a disease called periodontal disease.
What is periodontal disease?
Periodontal disease begins when plaque, a mixture of bacteria and food debris, builds up on your pet's teeth and works its way under the gum line. Plaque hardens into tartar that gives bacteria a place to live and multiply in the mouth. Toxins released by the bacteria cause an inflammatory reaction (gingivitis) that can lead to destruction of tissue and bone that anchor the teeth in place. If the bacteria enter the blood stream, they can actually do damage to the heart, liver and kidneys. Periodontal disease is not only serious, it is also more common than most pet owners realize. In fact, more than 80 percent of dogs and cats have this problem by the time they're four years old. So, it's easy to understand why periodontal disease is one of the most frequently diagnosed health problems in pets today. To help prevent periodontal disease in your pet, it's recommended to have your pets' teeth examined every 6 to 12 months.
What signs am I likely to see?
There are a number of signs that should alert you to dental disease or other mouth related problems. Your pet may show a decreased interest in food or approach the food bowl and then show a reluctance to eat. He or she may chew with obvious discomfort, drop food, or swallow with difficulty. This reluctance to eat can also result in weight loss. You may notice drooling and a noticeably unpleasant odor to your pets' breath. Some pets have significant disease, yet have little to no signs until they need multiple tooth extractions. Having your pets annual to biannual exam is very important for early diagnosis.
Now what?
Once tartar has formed on your pets' teeth, it cannot be removed by brushing alone, but requires a professional dental cleaning. The age at which the procedure needs to be done varies—smaller breed dogs and cats often need a dental cleaning at a young age while larger breed dogs may not need a cleaning until they are much older. The following will help you to better understand what may be involved in your pet's dental cleaning.
What's involved with a cleaning?
Because the ultrasonic scaling used to thoroughly clean your pet's teeth causes significant vibration, which can be uncomfortable and scary to your pet if they were awake, your pet will need to undergo general anesthesia. Because we are using anesthesia, your pet will need to be fasted the night before and spend the day of the procedure with us so we can prepare them for the anesthesia and monitor them closely after the procedure until they fully recover and are safe to return home. At the time of check in, the technician will go over our Dental Anesthesia Form, which will provide you with options for pre-anesthetic blood work and other options that can increase your pets' anesthetic safety such as intravenous fluids, etc. This is a great time to ask more specific questions regarding the dental procedure. (For more information on the check in process, visit our surgery section).
Once your pet is under anesthesia, their teeth will be scaled, removing all of the tartar and plaque, and then polished. The gums around the teeth are probed and any pockets noted. At this point, the doctor is able to give a thorough oral examination to find loose, broken or missing teeth as well as oral tumors or lesions. We often do not know if or how many extractions may be necessary until your pet is anesthetized and the teeth cleaned, exposing laxity and defects in the teeth. After polishing the teeth, fluoride will be applied inside the mouth to set for a few minutes then rinsed, leaving your pets mouth fresh and clean. (see Oravet below)
**If loose or broken teeth need to be extracted, pain medication and sometimes antibiotics to be given at home are recommended to make your pet more comfortable during the healing process and to prevent infection. Antibiotics may also be recommended if (1) your pet has infected or very inflamed gums, (2) if they have liver, kidney or heart disease, or (3) if they have any type of immune suppressive disease or are on medication that may suppress their immune system around the time of the dental procedure.
Dental care—here and at home:
Oravet is an optional step in the dental process and would be applied after fluoride is allowed to sit and then rinsed. Oravet is a waxy sealant that is applied to your pet's teeth just below the gum line, creating an invisible barrier, preventing plaque and tartar from attaching to the teeth. This product has been clinically proven to reduce plaque and tartar formation helping prevent periodontal disease. Because Oravet must be applied to clean teeth to be effective, it is always started here at the clinic. When you take your pet home, 5 to 10 applications of Oravet are sent home with you to be applied once weekly to help maintain a plaque barrier. The luxury of the product is that it is only a weekly application, but you must stick with the Oravet routine on a consistent weekly basis for the product to be effective. This is a life-long treatment to try to prevent or decrease the frequency of your pet needing dental treatments. The weekly effort is well worth the long-term benefits for your pet.
There are many other forms of preventative care for your pet's teeth including CET chews and rinse, toothpaste and regular brushing (at least 3 to 4 times weekly), Dragon's Teeth and Dragonettes treats, Science Diet t/d, etc. Please talk to your veterinarian about long-term preventative dental care so that the need for a full dental cleaning may be decrease or even avoided.
Going Home:
When you come to pick up your pet, the technician will go over any after care instructions, restrictions or medications. Once your pet is home they may still be quite tired from the anesthesia and the medications given. This is completely normal. Older pets often times take longer to recover completely sometimes even up to a couple of days. Young pets typically are fairly normal by the following morning and most pets never skip a beat if they do not have to have extractions or more comprehensive care for progressed periodontal disease. Please let us know if you have any questions regarding your pets' dental procedure, the pain control process, or their recovery.