Dental Procedure
Periodontal disease is considered by many veterinarians to be the most common disease that affects pets. Most cats and dogs develop plaque, calculus, and gingivitis by the time they are 1 year of age. Lack of oral hygiene is probably the most significant reason for the development of periodontal disease in companion animals. Periodontal disease results in inflammation and destruction of the tissue around the tooth. The periodontal tissue include: the gums, connective tissue, alveolar bone (tooth socket). Gingivitis, inflammation of the gums, is the first stage of periodontal disease. As periodontal disease progresses, there is destruction of tissue attachment between tooth, gum and bone. There is visible inflammation and loss of bone around the tooth. The loss of gum tissue attachment and bone result in “pockets” of disease below the gum line. Untreated periodontal disease is a constant source of infection for the rest of the body. Eventually, gingivitis progresses to weakened areas of bone, mobile teeth and tooth loss. Brushing your pet’s teeth to keep them clean and having professional cleanings are the best ways to treat and prevent periodontal disease. Because the severity of periodontal disease is hidden below the gum line, a professional dental teeth cleaning with dental x-rays under anesthesia is the only way to properly diagnose and treat periodontal disease.
Day of the Procedure
Allow 20 minutes for admission appointment. The veterinarian will complete a physical exam and discuss the procedure. Paperwork will need to be signed and a valid phone number for that day provided.
After your morning exam and paper work is done, your pet will receive a mild sedative and any pre anesthetic procedures will be done.
The pre-anesthetic blood test is a mini-panel run in the hospital before the procedure is done. This test allows us to detect liver, kidney functions, blood glucose levels, and protein or anemia problems. By knowing these values we are able to identify potential complications and reduce risks prior to anesthetizing your pet.
Placement of a catheter into a leg vein, prior to anesthesia, allows us to administer fluids during the procedure to keep your pet hydrated and to maintain a stable blood pressure. It also allows us to respond immediately to any changes or problems that arise during anesthesia. Although we can place a catheter during anesthesia if an emergency arises, valuable time may be lost.
The anesthesia machine delivers anesthetic gas, (Isoflurane) and oxygen to your pet and removes carbon dioxide, the waste gas, exhaled by the patient.
Your pet will be given a short acting anesthesia, usually a mixture of diazepam and ketamine to induce your pet. This will anesthetize your pet so we are able to place cuffed endotracheal tube, creating an open airway. The cuff will be inflated to prevent water and foreign debris from entering the trachea.
While your pet is asleep they are hooked up to two different monitoring devices. One of them is a Surivet that monitiors SPO2,CO2, heart rate and respirations. This is connected to the trachea tube and the tongue of the patient.
The Spo2 measures the level of oxygen in your pet and Co2 measures the level of carbon dioxide in your pet.
The doppler probe is placed over an artery of a limb or tail, to amplify the sound of blood flow. These are generally used in conjunction with blood pressure cuffs to measure systolic blood pressure.
Although your pet is on monitoring equipment, the technician is continually monitoring the patient manually.
Once your pet has been prepared, a second technician puts on the proper attire and begins the dental cleaning. The proper attire consists of a mask, gloves, and eye protection.
The dental cleaning begins with a thorough examination of the oral cavity. A “before” picture is taken of the teeth. The mouth is rinsed with a chlorhexidine solution. An ultrasonic scaler is used to clean each tooth of calculus and plaque deposits both above and below the gum line.
Hand scalers are used for those areas that are inaccessible to the mechanical scaler.
After the teeth have been properly scaled, they are polished with a medium grit polish. This step is performed to smooth the microscopic pits and scratches on the tooth surface. This step also helps the plaque from returning to rapidly.
The oral cavity is rinsed of prophy paste and calculus after all surfaces of the teeth have been polished. Once again the teeth are checked for any abnormalities. For example, if there is a broken or suspicious tooth your pet may need to have dental x-rays. This will help the veterinarian diagnosis conditions like bone loss, abscesses or root fractures. If all problems have been addressed we will take an “after” picture of the teeth and start the process of recovery.
During the recovery of your pet they will receive an antibiotic injection to start fighting the bacteria that is in the mouth. Your pet will get extubated at this time and disconnected from the warming blanket and placed in a heated recovery cage. Your pet will also take home oral antibiotics for a period of 7-10 days. If there were any extractions your pet will receive a pain injection and a local nerve block.
The technician will trim your pets' nails and prepare all the paperwork for home instructions at this time.
Before & After
Pets with healthy mouths or mild to moderate gingivitis will benefit from annual dental cleaning. Those with early periodontitis will probably require a dental cleaning every 6 to 8 months.
The key to success with dental home care is finding a product that works well for you and is acceptable to your pet. Home care modalities includes: Brushing, Rinsing Gels, Chews, Foods and Periodontal vaccines.
