Dentistry

Fluffy’s dog breath and Cali’s tuna breath aren’t soemthing to be ignored – they could be indicative of an oral problem.  The sooner dental issues are treated; the sooner you and your pet can smile proudly.

Here are a few interesting facts that you may not know:

• Dental disease is the most common disease in pets today.
• Over 85% of dogs and cats three years and older have periodontal disease.
• Brushing your pet’s teeth regularly can increase their life span by 3-5 years.
• Dental disease has been directly linked to liver, kidney, and heart disease.
• Dental disease; including gingivitis (inflamed gums) and abscessed or fractured teeth are painful for your pet.
• Your pet may not show pain until the problem is severe.
• The main cause of halitosis (bad breath) in dogs and cats is dental disease.

Imagine what it would feel like to go days, months, or even years without brushing your own teeth! The same applies to your pet’s teeth. Unless you are regularly providing some form of dental care, you are neglecting an important factor in the overall health of your pet.

Periodontal disease is an infection of the tissue surrounding the teeth.  The disease takes hold in progressive stages, starting out as a bacterial film called plaque.  The bacteria present in plaque attach to your pet’s teeth.  When the bacteria die, they can become calcified by the calcium found in saliva. This forms a hard, rough substance called tartar (or calculus) which allows more plaque to accumulate.  This process can happen in as little as 3-5 days. Initially plaque is soft, and brushing or chewing hard foods and toys can dislodge it.  If left to spread, plaque can lead to gingivitis (inflammation of the gums), causing them to become red, swollen, and to bleed easily. As plaque and calculus develop below the gumline, 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.  As the disease progresses, the symptoms that your pet may experience can include but are not limited to: purulent excaudate (pus) around the tooth, bleeding gums, loose or missing teeth, loss of appetite, stomach or intestinal upsets, difficulty chewing or eating and even irritability or depression. In the final stages of periodontal disease, the tissues surrounding the tooth are destroyed; the bony socket holding the tooth erodes, and the tooth becomes loose. This is a very painful process for your four-legged companion, and unfortunately, that’s not all.  Dental disease doesn’t just affect the mouth.  It can lead to more serious health problems including heart, lung, and kidney disease.  Luckily, you as a pet owner can help avert these problems before they even start!  The progression of disease makes your role in preventative care for Fluffy all the more important.

Now that you know a little more about dental disease in your pets, let me explain how the doctor and staff at Glacierview can help.  Here at Glacierview we pride ourselves in not only fixing the problem once it’s needed, but also in teaching you about prevention. Our hospital staff offer a unique service to our clients. You are encouraged to bring your pet in for a FREE DENTAL EXAM provided by one of our trained and educated staff members. This allows you to have a good understanding of where your pet’s overall oral health lies. During this visit, we will go over the stages of periodontal disease and educate you on your pet’s current stage of dental disease. You will be provided with informational handouts and a dental gift for your pet.  This gift includes samples of products used for preventative care, all at no cost to you!  If it is determined that a dental prophylaxis (professional cleaning) is needed, you will be offered the opportunity to leave your pet with us for the day.  During their stay, he/she will receive a full dental cleaning.  This may not be available every time, but we will try to accommodate you the best we can.  Please view our 12-step dental handout to have a better understanding of what will be done while your companion is with us for his/her dental prophylaxis.

Your pet’s dental care doesn’t rest with your veterinarian alone. As a pet owner, you play a vital role in helping ensure your pet’s dental health. Remember… pets can live longer, healthier lives if oral care is managed and maintained throughout their lives. In fact, proper dental care may add as much as five years to your pet’s life!

12 Steps to Oral Health

A dental prophylaxis (cleaning) is performed not only to clean the teeth, but also to evaluate the oral cavity for any other problems that might be present. The cleaning not only includes what you can see, but also the area under the gumline - the most important part.

We have devised a twelve-step prophylaxis to give our patients the maximum benefit available. Before the prophylaxis can begin, the patient must be placed under general anesthetic. All pets are recommended to have a current blood panel (within two weeks of the procedure).  Bloodwork is done to ensure your pet’s overall health before placing it under anesthesia. All pets will have an intravenous catheter placed prior to anesthesia. This ensures that we have an open port to a vein for drug and intravenous fluid administration during the anesthetic procedure. Intravenous fluids help maintain proper blood pressure while the pet is under anesthesia. After the pet is placed under anesthesia, an endo-tracheal tube is placed in the patient’s trachea. This will protect the lungs from the bacteria that is being removed from the teeth, and provide continuous oxygen and gas anesthesia during the procedure. All patients receive pain control and an antibiotic injection prior to their dental cleaning.

The 12-Step Prophylaxis

(note: the pet used in the following examples has grade I gingivitis.)

Before

Step 1: Extraction forceps are used to remove the gross calculus (tartar) from the crown (visible portion of the tooth).

Step 2: Prophylaxis- An ultrasonic dental scaler is used.  This tool is similar to what is used for human dental cleanings. It is a wide tipped scaler used to remove tartar and plaque from the crown of the tooth.

Step 3: A hand-held (non-mechanical) scaler is used to remove debris trapped between teeth and under the gumline. This step is crucial to a proper cleaning as debris under the gumline is the main cause of gingivitis and periodontal disease.

Step 4: The ultrasonic scaler is used again. This removes any residual debris and loose particles from around the gumline. The vibration from this ultrasonic tool helps to stimulate the gums, allowing them to begin the repair of minor gingivitis.

Step 5:   The hand-held scaler (non-mechanical) is used again to remove debris stuck in the grooves of the pet’s teeth. This hand-held scaler has a small sharp tip used to extract debris commonly stuck in the grooves of carnasal, lower molars, and the grooves of feline upper canines.

Step 6: A dental probe is used to measure all four sides of each tooth for any pockets or gum recession. Deep pockets are signs of unhealthy gums and teeth. Many teeth with deep pockets are abscessed and need to be removed. Dental radiographs are usually needed to evaluate these teeth for possible extraction.

Step 7: Dental radiograph- radiographs allow us to look at the root structure, oral cavity bone structure and placement of the teeth under the gumline. Radiology allows us to look at the damage periodontal disease has caused to the pet’s bone structure. Radiographs allow us to see if further treatment is needed; when it otherwise would have gone undetected. At the same time, we may find that a tooth with deep pockets may be healthy enough under the gumline to try and save without extracting.

Step 8: Polishing- the mechanical removal of plaque and calculus causes microscopic roughening of the tooth. These rough spots create a place for plaque to adhere to and restart tartar formation. Medium grit polishing paste impregnated with fluoride is applied liberally to all surfaces of each tooth. A mechanical polisher is then used to smooth the crown and the tooth just above the gumline.

Step 9: Lavage. Scaling and polishing will cause a lot of debris to become trapped in the pockets of the oral cavity. The mouth is gently flushed with an antibacterial solution to rid the mouth of excess polish and debris.

Step 10: C.E.T. Oral Hygiene Rinse is the next step in your pet’s dental cleaning.  Bacteria start attaching to teeth just minutes after a dental cleaning.  C.E.T. Rinse is a gel-like substance applied to your pet’s teeth that creates an invisible barrier.  This barrier prevents plaque and tartar from forming and bacteria from attaching. While we apply the initial treatment;  follow-up at home care is required to make the rinse work. Starting a few days after your pet’s dental cleaning; apply Maxi Guard Oral Hygiene Rinse once daily to help maintain the barrier we established.

Step 11: Antibiotics- Some pets may be given an injection of antibiotics at the start of the procedure. Gingivitis at any stage is an infection and antibiotics may be needed. Pets with severe periodontal disease may need more treatment than routine antibiotic therapy. An antibiotic “cement” is applied under the gumline in areas of severe disease. This antibiotic attaches to the tooth surface and stays in place for 2-4 weeks. This provides topical antibiotics directly to the location that needs it most. (Note- the cement does have a yellowish appearance that may appear as tartar. Be assured this is not tartar and will come off in a few weeks. )

Step 12: Charting. All pertinent findings and treatment rendered are charted and placed in the patient’s permanent medical record. A copy of this chart will be sent home with you for your records as well. Any teeth removed, broken, discolored, or needing to be monitored for possible removal at a later date are all charted. The locations of doxirobe (“the antibiotic cement”) are also recorded.

While your pet is receiving their dental prophylaxis, they will receive all of the following:  intravenous fluids to maintain good blood pressure, pain control prior to the prophylaxis, as well as an antibiotic injection.  Your pet will be monitored closely with an EKG (electrocardiogram), pulse oximeter (measures the amount of oxygen in the blood) and their temperature will also be monitored.  All our patients are listened to and monitored directly by a qualified staff member.  The above services are simply our standard of care.

Cost: Includes all of the above

Canine: $125.00

Feline: $85.00

If your pet is over the age of 6 years, pre-anesthetic bloodwork will be required. Bloodwork includes CBC (complete blood cell count), and a chemistry panel (checks all major organ functions).

Bloodwork Cost:$50.00

Dental radiographs/extractions will be at an additional cost.