Your Pet’s Good Health Begins with Clean Teeth
Over time your pet’s teeth could become covered with tartar and gingivitis will appear around the gums. Besides being unsightly and causing some memorable bad breath, this can also affect your pet’s health. The infection from the gums can travel throughout the body, making it difficult for important organs to perform their best. It also makes eating painful for the dog or cat. We offer comprehensive treatments that are easy on your pet.
We offer our core dental treatment, which includes IV catheter, IV fluid, an injected antibiotic, full anesthesia, scale, polish, and fluoride treatments, as well as full-mouth X-rays.
The Importance of Good Dental Hygiene in Canines
Dog breath—whew! More than just unpleasant to smell, it is also an indication that the dog's health is being compromised. Dogs that don't receive dental care to keep their teeth clean and their gums healthy have mouths full of bad bacteria that may damage the kidneys, liver and heart. If your dog has bad breath and needs its teeth cleaned, you want him to be a Class A! Our dental procedures are classified as A, B, C or D depending on the condition of your dog's teeth and gums. Class A represents tartar with healthy gingiva. As your dog's class advances to Class D, his teeth roots may be rotting and he is developing gingivitis or early-to-advanced periodontitis.
Toby's teeth were in need of cleaning. His gums were swollen and red, indicating gum disease, or gingivitis, had advanced to the stage where his teeth and health would soon be affected.
70% of oral disease cannot be seen without X-rays. Dental X-rays allow us to find painful disease and infection otherwise undetectable. The bone in Toby's jaw was already deteriorating and the tooth would eventually be lost. After cleaning and polishing, Toby had a beautiful smile. The gums will remain swollen and red for a short while.
Once the swelling is gone, regular tooth brushing will help Toby to keep his gleaming white teeth and better breath. He should be checked at his twice-a-year wellness exam to ensure that the problem does not reoccur. Remember, canine dental care is an everyday endeavor! After all, pets need dental care too!
The Importance of Good Dental Hygiene in Felines
Cat bad breath is an indication that the cat's health is being compromised. Cats that don't receive dental care to keep their teeth clean and their gums healthy have mouths full of bad bacteria that may damage the kidneys, liver and heart. A Basic Dental with X-rays will help to determine if any additional treatment is needed.
Rusty's teeth were in need of cleaning. His gums were red and inflamed and his teeth were heavily covered with tartar.
After a series of dental X-rays, it was determined that Rusty's molar had a resorptive lesion (a cavity into the nerve portion of the tooth) that had to be surgically extracted. In addition to the extractions, Rusty's teeth were thoroughly cleaned. Rusty should be checked regularly to ensure that the problem does not reoccur. Once the swelling and pain of the tooth extraction are gone, regular tooth brushing and using home dental care products would also be a good idea to help Rusty keep his remaining teeth. Feline dental care is an everyday endeavor. After all, pets need dental care too!
Our Dental Procedures and Instructions
Someone on our staff will call you the day before your pet's dental procedure and remind you to take all food, snacks, and treats away by 8 p.m. Anesthesia often causes nausea and if your pet were to vomit during the procedure the chance is high that some foreign matter could enter their trachea and cause respiratory problems or even death. Your pet can have water all night.
On Dental Day
Please leave your pet with us between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. on the day of their dental work. Plan to spend a few minutes on paper work and last minute details. Your pet's dental technician will call and let you know when your pet is in recovery. He or she will meet with you at a predetermined time to pick up your pet, go over after-care, and review your bill. This is usually between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on the same day as the dental.
Comprehensive Physical Exam
Your pet will get a head-to-toe exam the morning of his or her dental to ensure all is well prior to anesthesia. Our established pets (ones we’ve examined in the last 12 months) will not be charged for this service.
Blood and Urine Testing
Safety beyond physical examination and your observations at home is provided with a lab panel to determine liver function, kidney function, blood cell counts and protein levels. This will need to be done one to three weeks prior to the dental procedure.
IV Catheter and Fluid Support
This service allows administration of intravenous medications as well as continuous drip fluid support during the procedure.
Anesthesia and Advanced Monitoring
Anesthesia includes pre-anesthetic medications, inhalant anesthesia, monitoring of blood oxygen, ECG, and blood pressure during anesthesia and recovery. Your pet will also be given a free nail trim while under anesthesia.
Scale, Polish, Fluoride
This includes: 1) examination of all visible tooth surfaces and exploration of every tooth attachment and gum health with a dental probe, 2) using specialized equipment to scale tartar from all teeth, 3) polishing the surface of every tooth, and 4) applying a fluoride treatment to all teeth.
Dental X-Rays
Eighty percent (80%) of all dental disease is below the gum line. X-rays are the only way to tell if treatment to relieve pain and stop the progression of disease is needed.
Extractions
Extractions may include anything from a gentle tug on an already loose tooth to facial surgery with bone removal, bone filling, and grafting of gum tissue.
Pain Control
If it hurts you and me, it hurts our pets. We give medications before, during, and after dental work to keep your pet's discomfort to a minimum and encourage faster healing. An E-Collar (lamp shade) will be provided if needed.
Antibiotics
Most pets that need more than a basic prophylaxis will need antibiotics. We give all pets an injectable antibiotic while they are here. If needed, we send you home with oral antibiotics also.
Bonded Sealants
Any break in the outer enamel of a tooth is painful and can lead to tooth loss. Superficial fractures can be repaired here with bonded sealants. Deeper fractures will require referral to a veterinary dentist.
Overnight Hospitalization
Occasionally procedures are painful enough or end late enough in the day that we will want to keep your pet overnight for recovery. There is no staff in the hospital at night, so if you want someone to be with your pet through the night, you can transfer them to the Animal Emergency and Specialty Center, a 24- hour facility in Parker, if you wish.
Dental Home-Care Instruction
Our Veterinary Technicians will help you develop the best plan for continued dental care at home.
Follow-up Exam
One re-examination will be provided at no charge, if required.