Dental disease is the most common form of pathology affecting our pets. More than 80% of dogs and cats older than 4 years of age suffer from some form of dental disease. Periodontal disease, which affects the structures supporting the teeth, occurs under the gumline and is therefore not identified by the naked eye. This is why dental radiographs are a crucial part of identifying and treating dental disease early. To maintain proper oral health, we recommend pets receive a yearly dental cleaning. However, there are multiple factors that influence how quickly a pet develops dental disease, such as breed, size of the pet (smaller pets often require more frequent visits), and ability to perform preventive care at home. Taking this into consideration, some pets will require dental cleanings as frequently as every 6 months, while others may not need a dental cleaning for up to 2 years.
As part of regular at-home care, we recommend you check your pet’s mouth regularly, and if they allow it, brush their teeth. We understand that not all of our patients will allow for their teeth to be brushed. There are other avenues of preventative dental care that can be used regularly with great ease. This includes dental chews, special diets and water additives. We recommend visiting the Veterinary Oral Health Council Accepted Products for Cats and Dogs (vohc.org) to see a comprehensive list of products that have proven to slow the onset of plaque and calculus accumulation. Even if you are unable to brush your pet’s teeth, we still recommend inspecting their oral cavity regularly to assess the severity of their dental disease and check for oral masses that can go unnoticed for lengthy periods of time that are often malignant and require extensive surgery once they get past a certain size.
Symptoms that your pet might be having dental issues include bad breath, loose teeth, abnormal chewing, drooling, retained baby teeth, reduced appetite, refusal to eat, pain around the face, swelling around the mouth. When dental disease is left untreated for long periods of time, permanent changes to the jaw can occur, affecting its structural integrity due to a bone infection called osteomyelitis. Internal organs can also be affected by periodontal disease, most notably the heart, kidney, and liver.
Before a dental procedure
You will need to book a pre-operative appointment at our clinic prior to the dental, at that time we will discuss preparing for it, the plan, costs, recovery, and any risks associated with the procedure. We may recommend performing bloodwork at that time if your pet is older, has comorbidities, or hasn’t had bloodwork in the last 6 months.
To prepare for the dental, we will ask you to fast your pet the night before, fresh drinking water should continue to be offered at all times. If your pet is on any medications, please let us know.
How a dental procedure is performed
Every pet undergoing a dental procedure, whether it be a cleaning and/or dental extractions, will be placed under general anesthesia utilizing a tailored anesthetic protocol taking into account the patient’s age, temperament, and potential comorbidities. This is the only way to perform a complete and thorough evaluation of our patient’s mouth, including dental charting and dental radiographs.
After the oral examination and dental radiographs, we will contact you to discuss our findings and what our treatment options are. To avoid extending our anesthesia time, if we cannot reach you at that moment, the extent of the extractions will be based on the consent form we had you sign when you dropped off that morning.
Extractions are performed to remove unhealthy, broken, cracked, loose, or dead teeth, as well as to treat disease originating near the root of the tooth, such as an abscess or a fracture beneath the gumline. Prior to extractions, dental nerve blocks are performed to ensure our patients undergo the least amount of pain necessary.
If your pet is doing well under anesthesia, we will also be able to perform nail trims, ear cleanings, or other minor surgical procedures such as small mass removals if time permits.
If at any point during the pre-operative or sedated examination we identify advanced forms of disease that require a dental specialist, we will provide you with a referral.
After the procedure
The great majority of owners see a significant improvement in the quality of life of their pet following a dental procedure. Most patients recover quite well and are back to their normal selves by the evening or the next morning after the dental. If extractions were performed your pet will have sutures placed that are absorbable, so they will not need to be removed. If you are provided with a cone, we ask you to keep it on at all times, as patients will often paw at their mouth or rub their faces on furniture, which risks disrupting the healing process. To protect their mouth, your pet should only be fed canned or softened food and refrain from chewing on any rough materials (toys or treats) for the next 2 weeks. If no extractions were performed, animals are permitted to resume eating their normal diet.
