A mouth exam is done during your pet's annual physical, or when it is brought to our attention. You can not evaluate painful areas or look at the bone and tooth roots without the benefit of anesthesia and x-rays. Then we can determine the extent of the problem and render the appropriate recommendations. Most cases will require pre operative blood work.
Many of our dental patients are older and some kind of chronic disease is present. The physical exam of the entire body is essential too because these patients may already be compromised. Some pets require weeks to months of treatment for conditions found on the physical exam or blood work before the dental procedure can be safely performed.
DENTAL CLEANING PROCEDURES:
Routine scale and polish under anesthesia:
The appointment is made for an exam before this is done so we can discuss the procedure, give advice for blood work, find out if any other procedures need to be done while your pet is anesthetized (express anal glands, remove small tumors, pedicure, ear cleaning, clip matted hair, etc.), and start any pre operative medications. Pre op medications may include long acting pain medication, antibiotics, IV fluids, and/or ECG Exam. The day your pet is here for the dental he will go through the same protocols as the surgery patients with pre anesthetic medications, IV catheterization, general anesthesia, airway security, and intraoperative blood pressure and heart rate and blood oxygenation monitoring.
The first thing the doctor and the dental technician will do is chart a map of all teeth that are missing and any that appear to be loose and those that the x-rays determine will be extracted. The doctor performs the dental cleaning and polishing and any needed extractions and/or oral surgery. Numbing injections are placed into the nerve areas so your pet has no feeling of pain during or after the procedure.
Extractions and oral surgery:
Most teeth that are removed are causing your pet pain to begin with so removing those teeth will be very helpful in the long run. Sometimes all teeth must be extracted due to severe gum disease as with some forms of viral diseases in cats, or through neglect or trauma they are no longer viable. Sometimes we have oral tumors and growths that need to be removed and sent to the lab for biopsy.