Dentistry, Advanced Dentistry and Dental Referrals

Dental Services Available

• Advanced Dental Cleanings including ultrasonic scaling, hand scaling, polishing, antiseptic rinse and full mouth screening digital dental radiographs.
• Dental Extractions of all types and levels of difficulty.
• Endodontic Care such as root canal therapy and vital pulp therapy.
• Composite Restorations; sealing of exposed dentin on teeth with uncomplicated crown fracture.
• Rim Excision of Oral Masses
• Bite Evaluations include correction of traumatic malocclusion via orthodontics or selective extraction.
• Gingevectomy/Gingivoplasty
• Exotic Dental Care for Rabbits, Chinchillas, Hedgehogs, Small Rodents and Guinea Pigs including dental cleanings, molar leveling, incisor trimming, radiography and extractions.

AAHA Dental Care Guidelines

© American Animal Hospitals Association

As an AAHA Accredited practice with strong focus on Dentistry, South Hyland is proud to follow these Dental Care Guidelines established by the American Animal Hospitals Association and published on their site designed for pet-owners, www.healthypet.com.

Proper dental care can detect dental disease that not only affects the mouth, but can also lead to more serious health problems such as heart, lung, and kidney disease. Good dental hygiene is just as important for pets as it is for humans. Yet, it is one of the most overlooked areas in pet health. Studies by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) reveal that nearly two-thirds of pet owners do not provide the dental care recommended by veterinarians. AAHA’s Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats are a working framework for small animal dentistry practice, including dental examinations, cleanings, and surgical procedures.

Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is an infection of the tissue surrounding the teeth that takes hold in progressive stages.

How it Starts and Progresses

Periodontal Disease starts out as a bacterial film called plaque. The bacteria attaches to the teeth. When the bacteria die they can be calcified by calcium in saliva. This forms a hard, rough substance called tartar or calculus, which allows more plaque to accumulate. Initially, plaque is soft and brushing or chewing hard food and toys can dislodge it. If left to spread, plaque can lead to gingivitis, an inflammation of the gums, causing them to become red and swollen and to bleed easily. As plaque and calculus develop below the gum line, professional cleaning will be needed to help manage it. If the plaque and tartar buildup continues unchecked, infection can form around the root of the tooth.

In the final stages of periodontal disease, the tissues surrounding the tooth are destroyed, the bony socket holding the tooth in erodes, and the tooth becomes loose. This is a very painful process for your four-legged friend, but these problems can be averted before they start with proper dental care.

AAHA Guidelines

Oral Examinations: AAHA recommends that veterinarians evaluate puppies and kittens for problems related to deciduous (baby) teeth, missing teeth, extra teeth, swelling, and oral development. As pets age, your veterinarian will examine your pet for developmental anomalies, accumulation of plaque and tartar, periodontal disease, and oral tumors. The veterinarian can perform a basic oral examination while pets are awake. However, short-lasting anesthetic is required for a more complete examination.

Dental cleanings: Guidelines recommend regular examinations and dental cleanings under general anesthesia for all adult dogs and cats. These cleanings should take place annually starting at one year for cats and small-breed dogs, and at two years of age for larger-breed dogs.

Dentistry at South Hyland Pet Hospital

Your pet’s oral health is extremely important to us, and we have made a commitment to ensure that routine assessment is part of every visit. We are committed to your pet’s oral healthcare-are you?

The Facts:

• Oral disease affects approximately 80% of dogs and 70% of cats by age three
• 70% of purebred cats and 40% of mixed breed cats have tooth resorption lesion(s)
• 75% of oral radiography cases reveal disease not visible to the eye

The Effects:

• Local infection and pain
• Tooth loss over time
• Systemic effects in heart, liver and kidneys

Why Dental Treatment?

Imagine never brushing your teeth. How would your teeth look? How would your mouth feel? Because your pet’s head is connected to the rest of its body, oral healthcare is very important to their overall health. It may sound funny, but it’s important to understand that the mouth is not something to be taken for granted or ignored. Studies show that 80% of dogs and 70% of cats over the age of three have periodontal disease. It is the number one untreated disease in pets. Without treatment, periodontal disease can lead to microscopic changes in the heart, liver and kidneys and may lead to serious health problems.

While there is a lot you can do at home to help, we take a comprehensive approach that includes dental assessment, treatment, and prevention. People brush their teeth twice a day and even floss, yet it is recommended to visit a dentist every 6 months for a professional cleaning and assessment. We recommend an oral healthcare examination for your pet at least annually.

Physical Exam and Labwork

We begin with a physical examination to help us understand your pet’s general health and physical status. We make an exam room assessment of your pet’s mouth and assign a preliminary “stage” of dental disease that ranges from no disease to advanced periodontal disease. We examine your pet for fractured, worn, discolored, missing and mobile teeth. This helps us construct a treatment plan that suits your pet’s needs. Preoperative labwork will be completed prior to your pet’s dentistry procedure. Depending on your pet’s medical history and our examination findings, our doctors may request additional preoperative testing for your pet.

General Anesthesia

General anesthesia is required to enable us to complete scaling and polishing of the tooth crowns, and more importantly, to be able to evaluate and treat the area under the gumline where periodontal disease occurs. We follow best practices for anesthesia to keep your pet comfortable and safe. Pain medication is given prior to your pet’s procedure and local anesthetic nerve blocks are utilized during their procedure to ensure that they are pain free and recover comfortably. Throughout the procedure, we monitor their vital signs (EKG, blood pressure, pulse oximetry, CO2 levels and temperature), deliver fluids through an IV catheter, and provide warming devices to keep their body temperature normal.

Dentistry Procedure

We begin every dental procedure by rinsing your pet’s mouth with chlorhexidine to decrease the bacteria that may be present. Using state-of-the-art instruments and ultrasonic scalers, we first remove plaque and tartar on the crown surface of the tooth. The next, more important step is removal of the plaque and calculus beneath the gumline (subgingival scaling). Then we polish your pet’s teeth to remove any rough surfaces that make it easy for tartar and plaque to adhere. Once the teeth are cleaned, our trained clinicians utilize a probe and explorer to carefully examine each tooth. All abnormalities are recorded on your pet’s dental chart. We take dental radiographs to evaluate the bone structure around the tooth which enables us to detect issues beneath the gumline that are not otherwise visible. The treatment plan for each tooth is based on a combination of intraoral examination and intraoral radiographs. Treatment may include oral or periodontal surgery.

Recovery and Follow Up

Your pet is carefully monitored during their recovery from anesthesia. All of our dentistry patients go home the same day for their procedure. At their discharge appointment, we review their procedure and give you written instructions for their postoperative care. If you pet has oral surgery, a complimentary recheck examination may be scheduled. Depending on your pet’s stage of periodontal disease, we will recommend a recheck oral healthcare exam in 3, 6, 9 or 12 months.

Home Care and Prevention

Periodontal disease is preventable. Your commitment to home care is essential to your pet’s long-term oral healthcare. Daily brushing is the best method to control plaque and tartar build-up. We will customize a home care plan for your pet at your request. It may include a combination of diet, treats, chews, and water additives.

FAQs

Q. Is there a physical sign that my pet has a dental problem?

A. Pets’ breath isn’t normally great smelling, but if it becomes particularly offensive, it could be a sign of a serious oral problem. Other signs include excessive drooling, loose teeth, tumors on the gums, and cysts beneath the tongue.

Q. What’s the best way to brush a dog’s teeth?

A. Use a brush or wrap your finger in gauze and hold it at a 45-degree angle to the teeth. Using small, circular motions, work in one area of the dog’s mouth at a time. Be sure to lift the dog’s lip if necessary to reach the teeth. Since the most tartar builds up on the tooth surfaces that touch the cheek, concentrate there and finish up with a downward stroke on the teeth to remove tartar. Your dog may not let you clean the backside of its teeth, but don’t worry about it because very little tartar builds up there.

Q. Is there anything else I can do to help my dog’s oral health?

A. Provide chew toys that help massage your pet’s gums and keep their teeth clean. Ask your veterinarian to recommend toxin-free chew toys. An added benefit of chew toys is their ability to reduce your dog’s stress level, eliminate boredom, and give pets an outlet for their desire to chew.