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 Most
of us are very familiar with what happens when we visit our
dentist’s office for a dental cleaning. In contrast, bringing your
pet into the hospital and dropping it off to have its teeth cleaned
can produce some anxiety simply because of the unknown.
While there are many similarities between what
happens to you and what is done to your pet, there are also some
significant differences.
Once an appointment is scheduled for your
pet’s teeth cleaning, the doctor reviews your pet’s chart and
determines if any pre-anesthetic testing is recommended to increase
the safety of the procedure. Unlike humans, pets do not willingly open
their mouths and allow us to scrape the plaque and tartar from their
teeth. Anesthesia is important to ensure that your pet holds still, is
not painful and that its airway is protected.
 While
anesthesia does represent a risk, Kulshan uses the safest anesthetics
and anesthetic protocols available to maximize your pet’s safety. We
also utilize the information gathered from lab work and EKG’s to
make the best decisions related to which anesthetics to use and how
much to give. While your pet is under anesthesia, various monitors
similar to those used in human hospitals are used to monitor your
pet’s vital signs as well.
Your pet can check-in for its dental the night
before the procedure or the morning it is scheduled. If you chose to
bring them in the day the procedure is scheduled, they should not be
allowed access to any food after
eight o’clock
the night before. This ensures that the stomach is empty which
decreases the risks associated with anesthesia. There is no need to
restrict access to water. Pets arriving the day of their dental should
arrive at the clinic between
7:45
and
8:30 am
.
 When
you and your pet arrive to check in for the dental cleaning, one of
our licensed veterinary technicians (similar to a registered nurse)
will review the anesthetic consent form and doctor’s recommendations
for your pet. These technicians are trained to answer your questions
and explain the doctor’s recommendations. This usually takes about
ten to fifteen minutes. Once you feel comfortable with their
explanations, they will ask for your signature and a contact number
where we can reach you while your pet is with us.
This contact number is very important. While
emergencies are rare, they do happen and having a viable contact
number is crucial to providing your pet with the level of care you
desire. Most often this contact information is used to keep you
up-to-date on the progress of your pet’s dental and to discuss any
additional findings during the dental evaluation. This may include
advising you about additional procedures, such as radiographs and/or
extractions that would be recommended. If we are unable to contact
you, we are frequently forced to delay this additional work which
denies your pet from receiving the best dental care and can result in
additional costs and inconvenience to you associated with
anesthetizing your pet again and bringing it back for an additional
appointment.
After checking in for the
dental cleaning, your pet is examined by the attending veterinarian.
This includes taking the temperature, getting the weight, checking the
teeth, the heart and lungs. With the results of any accepted
pre-anesthetic testing and the physical exam, an anesthetic protocol
is determined.
 When
our licensed technician is ready to perform your pet’s dental
cleaning, it is anesthetized and the process starts.
The technician first removes any large chucks of tartar (the
whitish, yellowish, orangish, brownish material that accumulates on
the teeth). The teeth are then evaluated for infection, pockets or
other evidence of disease. Cavities are not commonly seen in dogs and
cats. Any abnormal findings are indicated to the attending doctor and
a decision on the best treatment is determined. In the case of pockets
and infected teeth, digital radiographs (x-rays) can be taken to
determine whether or not a tooth should be removed.
Once
any problems have been addressed, plaque is removed from the teeth
both above and below using an ultrasonic scaler. Removing the plaque
under the gum line is an important step in preventing ongoing disease.
All plaque is composed primarily of bacteria. If left undisturbed
under the gum line, it puts the teeth at serious risk for
infection.
Because of the close
association of the blood supply and tooth roots within the bone, this
infection can easily enter the blood stream and spread the infection
to vital organs such as the heart, kidneys and/or liver.
Following the removal of
all plaque and tartar, your pet’s teeth will be polished and treated
with fluoride. Polishing is also an important step in that smoothing
the tooth’s surface helps to slow and reduce future plaque/tartar
build-up. This is part of why we don’t recommend simply scraping
tartar off the teeth as it can damage the enamel and leave scratches
that promote the accumulation of plaque/tartar.
 Oravet
is applied following the polishing of the teeth. This “sealant”
bonds electrostatically with the teeth and helps reduce plaque and
tartar accumulation. The oravet applied while your pet is under
anesthesia is much more concentrated than the home applied product.
Not only does it help reduce dental disease, but it also serves as a
foundation for application of the home product. (For more information
on Oravet, visit http://www.oravet.us.merial.com)
 The
final step of the dental cleaning is documenting the condition of your
pet’s mouth. The technician will record which teeth are missing or
were extracted, information on oral disease and general oral health.
These notes are an important part of your pet’s medical record and
allow us to follow the progress of its health. We also put this
information into the client information sheet to communicate the state
of your pet’s dental care to you and for you to file in your copy of
your pet’s medical record.
After the dental, your
pet is monitored closely while it wakes up from anesthesia. This
includes keeping it warm and comfortable and getting it ready to go
home.
Most pets go home the
same day as their dental cleanings. It is important to remember that
they may still be a little sleepy from the anesthetic and events of
the day. Some also may be a little sore from having plaque/tartar
removed or from having teeth removed. Depending on the condition of
the oral health and what was done, antibiotics and/or pain medications
may be sent home to complete their treatment. In these cases,
directions will be on the bottle labels and within the go-home
instructions.
If your pet seems to be
slower for more than 24 hours following the dentistry, please give us
a call as this may be the indication of complications associated with
the procedure.
 Other
Sources of Reputable Pet Dental Information:
The
American
Animal
Hospital
Association (AAHA) Dental Recommendations:
http://www.healthypet.com/library_view.aspx?ID=142
Pets
Need Dental Care Too Website:
http://www.petdental.com
AAHA Pet Tooth Brushing
Information:
http://www.healthypet.com/library_view.aspx?ID=135&sid=1
Information about
preanesthetic work-up tests:
http://www.idexx.com/animalhealth/analyzers/preanesthetic/tools/096354804.pdf
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