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Preparing for your visit
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Enter your information below, and our client care coordinator will contact you with the next steps.
Steps to a Dental Procedure
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Pre-anesthetic evaluation
Whenever anesthesia is needed, special considerations are taken to ensure the safety of your pet. We examine your pet to help ensure they are healthy enough to undergo anesthesia. Bloodwork is run to check for any abnormal liver or kidney values and other issues. Though there is some risk associated with any medical procedure, modern anesthesia is usually safe, even for older pets. Pets with hidden dental disease have shorter life spans than those that undergo frequent anesthetic dental procedures.
To guarantee the safest possible anesthesia experience for your pet, we will request that you run a few blood tests beforehand. You have the option to request your primary veterinarian to perform them, or we can take care of it for you. Either way, we want to ensure that your pet's health is in tip-top shape before any procedures:
CBC
Chemistry
Electrolytes
Quantitative BNP test (for canine or feline) -
IV Fluids
An intravenous catheter is placed to speed recovery, improve hydration, and have an emergency port for improved safety.
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Anesthesia monitoring
During anesthesia, we monitor your pet’s vital signs including body temperature, heart rate, and respirations to ensure the safety of your pet while undergoing anesthesia. Special warming blankets are used to help prevent heat loss, improve recovery, and provide comfort.
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Oral Exam
Once your pet is under anesthesia the doctor performs a full oral exam. Any loose, broken, or missing teeth are noted in the chart along with any oral tumors or problems. The gums around the teeth are probed and any pockets are noted.
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Dental radiographs
Radiographs (x-rays) of the teeth are needed to see the 2/3 of each tooth below the gum line in order to completely evaluate your pet’s oral health. More than 42% of pets of all ages have at least one normal-looking tooth with a hidden issue only seen by x-ray. On average, 3 out of every 4 pets have something going on in the mouth that x-rays are needed to determine the appropriate treatment.1
1 Source: Diagnostic value of full-mouth radiography in dogs, Verstraete FJ
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Scaling & Polishing
A specialized ultrasonic scaler is used to clean and under the gum line without damage to tissues. The teeth are then polished to smooth any scratches in the enamel.
Additional Treatments
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Pain Medications/Antibiotics
Extractions and advanced therapies require nerve blocks and additional pain control methods. Rest assured, if pain medication is needed, it will be used. We will also use antibiotics when needed.
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Extractions
We always prefer to save teeth. However, it is better to be without a tooth, than keep a painful tooth. Two shorter anesthetic procedures are often better than one long procedure and allow for gum healing and bacterial reduction between anesthetic procedures. For these reasons, many times we will diagnose a problem, initiate antibiotics, then return for the extraction in a second procedure. In some cases, it will seem as if many teeth need to be removed, but only 8-10 of the 30 (cats) to 42(dogs) teeth are important.
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Fluoride
This helps fortify your pet’s teeth and reduce sensitivity, and is used when needed.
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Sealant
The application of a clear anti-plaque coating, Sanos, is advised. This 6-month, teeth brushing replacement is applied during a professional anesthetic dental procedure. Its smooth surface delays tartar formation.
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Advanced Therapies
The following therapies are done to preserve function and stop the pain when needed:
- Bone Grafts/Membranes
- Palate and Cleft Repair
- Restorations
- Root Canal/Endodontics
- Gum Recontouring
- Orthodontics
- Non-Invasive Fracture Repair
- Deep Root Planing
- Mass Removal
- Partial Jaw Resection
- Full Metal Crown and more...