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Good dental care is essential to extend your cat or dog's life span and assure good quality of life. Just like you, your pet would benefit from daily dental care at home, but for most owners this is not an option. We can provide dentistry services for your pet and give you advice on ongoing teeth care techniques.
It is best to begin home care when your puppy or kitten is between 8 and 12 weeks; however, it is never too late. If your pet has any accumulated tartar, it should be removed during a dental scale and polish at the veterinary centre.
For teeth that are free of plaque and tartar, you can maintain them at home, whether it is by feeding a food especially formulated to help reduce the tartar buildup or by cleaning more effective.
To discuss home dental care that will work for you and your pet please come and discuss the options available.
Our Procedures and their Benefits
Dentistry in veterinary clinics has come a long way. Up until quite recently, there was little in the way of preventative home care which vets could offer clients. Dental treatments were performed infrequently, usually with an "ambulance at the bottom of the cliff" approach. The most that pets could expect would be to have their teeth scraped or pulled, often with little pain relief. Other options for the treatment or preservation of their teeth were not available.
Standard of care at Greenlane Veterinary Centre
The following is a description of the standard of care at Greenlane Veterinary Centre.
Careful Anaesthesia
- A Veterinarian always examines your pet at admission and checks his or her heart, lungs, and general condition. The anaesthetic does not proceed if problems are identified.
- Pre anaesthetic blood testing of important organs such as the liver and kidney is often performed using a sophisticated in-clinic laboratory machine.
- Combination premeds (ie. sedative combinations) reduce the dose of anaesthetic needed to make cats and dogs deep enough to operate on, smoothing induction/recovery and reducing risk.
Professional Dental Assessment
- Once anaesthetised the pet is transferred to a dedicated operating theatre. The vet and nurse wear complete protective scrubs (mask, gloves and face shield).
- First your pets teeth are assessed and a dental chart is prepared, showing such details as depth of gum recession, absence of teeth, broken teeth and periodontal disease.
- Teeth that are broken, discoloured, have gum recession or cavities are examined further using a dental x-ray if needed.
- Once assessed, healthy teeth are cleaned and polished. We use a high speed ultrasonic scaler and polisher.
Diseased teeth may be treated in a number of ways:
- If x-ray shows up that the roots are retained, extraction of the roots is often necessary.
- They may be given a root plane and scale if the roots are exposed but the tooth is fundamentally healthy.
- Teeth which cannot be saved may be extracted. This is performed using a bone/gum flap, a complicated procedure designed to ensure the tooth is removed completely while minimising oral trauma.
Dedicated, Detailed Monitoring
A nurse is in attendance to ensure that the anaesthetic is safe and smooth. The pet's breathing rate, heart rate, blood oxygen %, and blood pressure are frequently recorded utilising hospital-standard machines.
The blood pressure is particularly important to the liver and kidneys, we support this with intravenous fluids.
The nurse can adjust anaesthetic depth and provide extra pain relief if necessary.
Postoperative Care
- After the dentistry, your pet is given further pain relief while he or she wakes up, and if necessary will be prescribed further pain relief for post operative care. This ensures that no pain is suffered.
- Antibiotics are usually supplied to prevent postoperative bacterial infiltration of the bloodstream and to treat current infection in the periodontal pocket/bone.
- When your pet is discharged you will be given a detailed information sheet discussing what you need to do at home to help recovery from surgery.
Homecare and Prevention
Frequent brushing is a good idea, however not always practical. Other strategies which can be used are dental diets which prevent tartar build-up; oral gels which function as a "pet listerine"; and in the case of dogs chews and toys eg."Greenies".
We recommend that pets have a dental hygiene check and any required treatment every 6 months. This can avoid the need for surgery allowing for a high standard of dentistry at a lower cost.
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