DENTAL CARE

Oral hygiene is an important factor in your dog's overall health. Left untreated, bacteria for your dog's teeth can enter the bloodstream and affect his heart, kidneys or liver. It has been estimated that 85 percent of dogs over age 4 are suffering from some form of periodontal disease, a painful oral condition that can lead to tooth loss and infection. The good news? All of these problems are preventable with regular dental cleanings and professional checkups.

"Brush your dog's teeth."

You hear it every visit, but you just don't know how to brush your dog's teeth. Click here for a helpful guide along with tips and tricks to help you learn how.

If you are unable to brush your dog's teeth, there are a number of products such as chews, rinses and water additives, that can aide you in your canine dental care.

DENTAL PROCEDURES

There is really no “typical dental cleaning”, as most of our patients have individual needs and problems, but the following is an outline of our procedure.

After the patient has had a comprehensive examination, the history assessed, and the pre-anesthetic blood profile reviewed, pre-anesthetic medications are calculated and tailored for the patient’s individual needs. An IV catheter is placed and pre-anesthetic pain medication is administered. IV fluid therapy is initiated and the anesthetic induction medications are administered. IV fluids greatly improve the safety of the procedure by helping to maintain blood pressure, kidney function, and post-operative dehydration. In addition, It offers immediate venous access for the administration of life saving drugs in the case of an emergency. We require all anesthetic patients have an IV catheter and IV fluid therapy.

As soon as anesthesia is induced, a breathing tube is placed and the patient is started on gas anesthesia to maintain the anesthetic state. Monitoring equipment, including pulse oximetry (oxygenation monitor) and blood pressure are then placed on the patient, the eyes are lubricated to prevent irritation, and a warming water blanket is placed under the patient. The patient’s face and eyes are covered with a towel to prevent contamination, and gauze is placed in the back of the mouth to catch debris and water. All patients lay on and are covered by warm clean towels.

After the teeth are thoroughly cleaned, rinsed, polished, and treated with fluoride, The doctor examines every part of the patient’s mouth and any abnormalities are noted on the dental chart. Any radiographs of abnormal areas are taken, and then the Dr. calls the owner with his findings. Any recommended treatment is explained to the owner, along with the costs for that treatment. In most cases, any required treatment can be performed at the same time as the cleaning.

All patients are closely monitored as they recover from their anesthesia, with most patients stand up within a few minutes of completing the procedure. Pain management includes medications before, during, and after the procedure, as well as local nerve blocks as indicated.

At discharge, all instructions are written out and fully explained. Typically several pictures of your pet’s procedure are taken and printed out for your reference. Most patients are scheduled for a re-check exam as appropriate. At some point in your pet’s care, we also take the time to demonstrate your home care options on your own pet. At any time before or after your pet’s care you are welcome to call with any questions you might have.