Dentistry
Dental care always starts at home. We advise our pet owners to clean their pet’s teeth daily. This usually involves wiping the outsides of the teeth without even opening the mouth.
Regular exams may reveal the need for a dental prophylactic procedure, when the tartar starts to build up and especially when there is visible gingivitis. A dental treatment is similar to surgery, we would do bloodwork either beforehand or the day of the procedure, give pain medication and start intravenous fluids. An ultrasonic scaler is used to remove tartar on the tooth surface and under the gingiva and fluoride is applied to protect the teeth. At times, we may need to do a dental radiograph and there are times a diseased tooth may need to be extracted. These may be loose or fractured teeth or teeth that have a pocket surrounding the root. Our goal is to create a healthy mouth that can be maintained with home care for some time. We always communicate with the owner during the procedure to discuss extractions. It is also recommended to start wiping or brushing the teeth about 2 weeks after the procedure.
Regular exams may reveal the need for a dental prophylactic procedure, when the tartar starts to build up and especially when there is visible gingivitis. A dental treatment is similar to surgery, we would do bloodwork either beforehand or the day of the procedure, give pain medication and start intravenous fluids. An ultrasonic scaler is used to remove tartar on the tooth surface and under the gingiva and fluoride is applied to protect the teeth. At times, we may need to do a dental radiograph and there are times a diseased tooth may need to be extracted. These may be loose or fractured teeth or teeth that have a pocket surrounding the root. Our goal is to create a healthy mouth that can be maintained with home care for some time. We always communicate with the owner during the procedure to discuss extractions. It is also recommended to start wiping or brushing the teeth about 2 weeks after the procedure.