Pet Dentistry

  • Ultrasonic scaler and polisher
  • Dental X-ray
  • High speed dental drill
  • Local anesthesia nerve blocks when needed
  • Staff with continuing education in dentistry
  • Home care dental products
  • Inhalation anesthesia with monitoring of EKG, oxygenation and blood pressure


Dental Disease in Dogs and Cats

Dental disease is as common in dogs as it is in humans. The most common form of dental disease in humans is cavities. However, this is not the case in dogs. The most common form of canine dental disease is tartar buildup. This causes irritation of the gums around the base of the teeth (gingivitis), resulting in exposure of the roots. Ultimately, this leads to infection and tooth loss.

Dry Food and Tartar

There are many misconceptions about tartar buildup in dogs. Diet is probably less important than most people think. Because dry food is not as sticky as canned food, it does not adhere to the teeth as much and thus, does not cause tartar buildup as rapidly. However, eating dry food does not remove tartar from the teeth. Once tartar forms, a professional cleaning is necessary.

One of the main factors determining the amount of tartar buildup is the individual chemistry in the mouth. Some dogs need yearly cleanings; other dogs need a cleaning only once every few years.

Tartar’s Effect on the Teeth

If tartar is allowed to remain on the teeth, several things may happen.

  1. The tartar will mechanically push the gums away from the roots of the teeth. This allows the teeth to loosen in their sockets and infection to enter the root socket. The teeth will loosen and fall out or have to be extracted.
  2. Infection will accumulate in the mouth, resulting in gingivitis, tonsillitis, and pharyngitis (sore throat). Although antibiotics may temporarily suppress the infection, if the tartar is not removed from the teeth, infection will return quickly.
  3. Infection within the mouth will be picked up by the blood stream and carried to other parts of the body. Kidney infections, as well as infections involving the heart valves, frequently begin in the mouth.

The Cleaning Process

Proper cleaning of the teeth requires complete cooperation of the patient so plaque and tartar can be removed properly. Anesthesia is required to thoroughly clean the teeth. Although anesthesia always carries a degree of risk, the modern anesthetics in use in our hospital minimize this risk, even for older dogs. Depending on your dog’s age and general health status, blood may be analyzed prior to anesthesia to evaluate blood cell counts and organ functions.

(Left: Photo of dental cleaning in progress.)

There are four steps in the cleaning process that will be used on your dog:

  1. Scaling removes the tartar above and below the gum line. This is done with hand instruments and ultrasonic cleaning equipment.
  2. Polishing smooths the surface of the teeth, making them resistant to additional plaque formation.
  3. Flushing removes dislodged tartar from the teeth and helps to remove the bacteria that accompany tartar.
  4. Fluoride coating decreases teeth sensitivity, strengthens enamel, and decreases the rate of future plaque formation.

The Cost for Teeth Cleaning

Although the cost of professional cleaning is more than for humans, it includes much more. A pre-anesthetic exam is necessary plus hospitalization for the day, inhalation anesthesia, ultrasonic and hand scaling, polishing, examination, fluoride coating, and an injection of antibiotic. A cleaning plus take home antibiotics and a tooth brush and paste kit may be all that is needed to restore health to your pet’s teeth.

However, some dogs and cats have more serious disease and require more therapy. We try to anticipate these costs before starting to clean your pet’s teeth, but often without anesthesia and cleaning, the severity of the problem cannot be determined. Some of these procedures may include pre-anesthetic blood tests, radiographs, extractions, antibiotic gel below the gum line, and special anesthetic considerations.

Scheduling the Cleaning

In order for us to clean your dog’s teeth, we ask that you schedule the procedure a few days in advance. It will be necessary to withhold food after 10 PM the night before; please do not remove the water. Your dog should be admitted to the hospital early (by 9AM) and will generally be ready for discharge in the late afternoon. It will need to be supervised that evening to insure that no accidents (falls, etc.) occur until complete recovery from anesthesia. If that is not possible, you may elect to have the dog spend the night in the hospital. It should be fed and watered lightly that evening and returned to normal feeding the next morning, at which time it should be completely recovered from the anesthetic. Your pet’s teeth and gums will be sore and pain medications may be sent home. Use as directed. Brushing should be started in about 1 week.

Before

After