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Questions about pet dentistry? |
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Written by Cathy Rosonke
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How important is it for me to bring my pet to a veterinarian for a dental check-up?
Just like our own teeth, our pets also get build up and decay. Often our pets have worse disease than you or I would develop. Your veterinarian can evaluate signs of  dental disease and make recommendations for an oral assessment and treatment plan, hopefully before irreversible destruction has taken place.
How often should my pet have an oral health examination?
An awake oral examination (no anesthesia) is done in the exam room and ideally should occur every six months. As that exam dictates, an anesthetized examination, assessment and treatment should be performed. Depending on the breed and age of your pet, as well as what home care measures are being followed through, this anesthetized exam might be once yearly, or as infrequent as every 2 to 3 years.
What can I do when my pet resists me brushing his teeth?
Pets often dislike the feel of the brush or us trying to handle their mouth. It takes patience and positive reinforcement to make it a pleasurable experience. Use pet flavored tooth paste and encourage your pet to think it is a treat by only using the paste  and your finger. Gradually, with praise, start working with handling your pet’s mouth and head. Eventually your pet should realize tooth brushing is a treat and not resist.
What is involved in a dental cleaning at Hillside Animal Hospital?
The first step in the dental cleaning is the awake oral examination. During this time the veterinarian will explain what sort of disease may be present based on visual findings. We make every effort to try to estimate accurately based on this exam, and go over that with you prior to the procedure. Sometimes after your pet is anesthetized disease is detected we did not plan for, but we make all attempts to inform you of the findings while your pet is under anesthesia.
Your pet is then admitted to the hospital for a pre-anesthetic blood test and sedative. Sometimes we’ve already done the blood testing prior to the day of the procedure. Once the sedative is administered, intravenous access with a catheter is established. This access allows administration of intravenous anesthetic mediation so an airway tube can be placed. Maintenance anesthetic gas is delivered to the lungs via this tube, which also acts to protect the airway from oral debris, and delivers oxygen to your pet.
A trained veterinary technician monitors your pet’s vital signs throughout the procedure, while the veterinarian evaluates, x-rays, cleans the teeth above and below the gum line, and finishes with polishing. Any problem areas, if detected, are addressed at the same anesthetic event. If further treatment is needed, we make every effort to contact you while your pet is under anesthesia to explain the findings and describe what treatment is necessary. We also tell you how much more this will cost. After the cleaning, a home care product called OraVet is applied.
Your pet is then recovered while being monitored until able to sit up and is comfortable. If any discomfort is anticipated, pain medication is dispensed.
When you pick up your pet, the veterinarian will go over everything that was discovered during the procedure, and answer any questions you may have.
Don’t forget about follow up! You will return in 2 weeks for a follow up assessment, and most importantly to get instruction on how to continue home care to keep your pet’s mouth clean as long as possible.
What is OraVet?
OraVet is a special product designed to help reduce plaque accumulation after an oral health procedure. Once the teeth are clean, the veterinarian applies a professional version when your pet is asleep. Then you get a sample of the home care version to try. It is a waxy substance that sticks to the teeth and makes it harder for plaque to accumulate. It is applied with your finger once a week. It has no taste or smell and is generally easy to apply.
Why is it necessary to extract teeth?
There are many indications to extract teeth. In an adult dog the most common reason is periodontal disease. This is the process of bacterial destruction of gum and bony support structures of the tooth. If the tooth is loose because of this, or if the area cannot be adequately cleaned, then extraction is the only choice.
 In cats, the most common reason for extraction is tooth resorption. This is a progressive process of the cat’s own system breaking down and destroying the tooth. It is a painful process, so when detected on x-ray or exam the tooth is removed to prevent further pain.
In a young pet there are other reasons for extraction. For example, small breed dogs often do not have room for all teeth, because they have tiny mouths. If the teeth erupt crowded, or rotated, they can act as spots for bacterial invasion, and often affect larger, important teeth. By extracting smaller, crowded teeth we can help prevent tooth loss of important chewing teeth.
If a young animal has impacted teeth that fail to erupt out of the bone, these must be extracted to avoid destructive cyst formation around the impacted tooth. If a puppy has baby teeth that did not dissolve the root properly and are retained, these also must be extracted to avoid crowding or interference with permanent tooth eruption.
How much does it cost to have my pet’s teeth cleaned?
Every patient is unique, so estimation of an oral health procedure is done on a case by case basis. The costs involved include, but are not limited to, anesthetic fees (which include the intravenous catheter and fluids, monitoring, pain management, anesthetic drugs, and bloodwork), radiograph fees, and oral evaluation and assessment fee which includes the cleaning, polishing, and OraVet application.
Why does my pet have to undergo anesthesia for an oral health procedure? Is the anesthesia safe?
Pets are not as cooperative as we are when it comes to sitting in the dental chair. It is nearly impossible to clean all areas of the teeth with your pet awake, not to mention taking x-rays. It is much safer for full general anesthesia to be done. Heavy sedation, without an airway tube in place, is dangerous, and may result in breathing in of oral debris or bacteria. It is also more difficult to monitor and adjust heavy sedatives. Sedation is not recommended, and general anesthesia is recommended by the American Animal Hospital Association and the American Veterinary Dental College.
At Hillside Animal Hospital we utilize the most advanced anesthetic medications and protocols, along with diligent monitoring, and the risks of anesthesia are very low.
How does dentistry at Hillside Animal Hospital compare to other hospitals?
Not all veterinary hospitals have the ability to take dental x-rays. In order to accurately assess and diagnose problems the x-ray is essential. We have the added benefit of digital x-ray which allows assessment in large screen view and much faster than traditional x-ray.
Some veterinary hospitals try to do many procedures at the same time, and in order to utilize staff elsewhere they rely on only one technician to do both anesthetic  monitoring and dental cleaning. At Hillside Animal Hospital a dedicated technician is present to monitor the patient.
At Hillside Animal Hospital, your pet’s oral evaluation, assessment and treatment is performed by the veterinarian. This allows a more trained eye to examine your pet’s mouth, which will help to detect and treat problems earlier.
At other hospitals you may or may not get to talk to the veterinarian about the procedure and follow up is generally not included nor is it recommended.
How should I plan for my pet’s oral health procedure?
The first step is to schedule an oral assessment examination with the veterinarian. This takes about 20 to 30 minutes, and at that time you will be given a treatment plan. |
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