Feb 24 Newsletter

FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER

The Dental Procedure at Parks Veterinary

Krista Albers-Smith, LVT

We all know the importance of dental care in humans. Ideally, we go to the dentist twice a year to have our teeth cleaned and yearly dental x-rays. Our pets also need routine dental care! Annual prophylactic dental procedures can prevent periodontal disease, calculus build up, and tooth loss. Let us walk through what we do for your pet when they come in for a dental.

First, all pets are examined by a doctor and blood work is evaluated to make sure they are safe to undergo anesthesia. If the blood tests or exam are abnormal, we call you and discuss what is happening and work with you to decide the best way to move forward. If the lab work looks normal, we move forward with the procedure.

All our dental patients will have an IV catheter and receive fluids throughout their dental cleaning. Dental procedures are often our longest procedures, so fluids help keep patients stable and hydrated while anesthetized. This means all pets will have a small, shaved spot on their arm when they go home.

Radiographs help to ensure that your pet is not in pain and does not have any dental disease or bone loss below the gum line. After starting anesthesia, the dental technician will take images of the entire mouth. Once done, they will scale the teeth to remove the calculus build up. By removing the calculus, the doctor can then see the enamel and check for cavities and pockets around the teeth. Large pockets allow bacteria to get below the gum line and cause infection around the tooth.

After the veterinarian has completed an examination of the mouth, they extract the diseased teeth. Before pulling any teeth, just like a human dentist, we numb the area so your pet will be as comfortable as possible when they wake up. Smaller teeth with single roots, such as incisors, are called simple extractions. Larger teeth, such as pre-molars and molars, have multiple roots and are considered complex extractions. Canine teeth are their own category because their roots are so long that they can actually extend under the roots of the teeth behind them!

Once the extractions are done, we polish the teeth to make sure that any imperfections in the enamel are filled in to prevent further damage to enamel. We then rinse the mouth and your pet’s dental procedure is complete! For some patients, we will send home both pain medications and an antibiotic to make sure your furry family member is comfortable and to prevent any infection. They may need to be fed soft food for a few days, but once the mouth is healed, they will be back to their normal, happy selves!