One of the most important topics for pet care is taking care of the teeth and gums. Recent
studies continue to show that oral disease (gingivitis, periodontitis, infected gums, bone
loss) can lead to significant cardiac disease and renal disease. We know that patients with
severe periodontal disease have millions of bacteria invading their bloodstream. In many
instances, those bacteria create colonies on the valves of the heart. As the valves
deteriorate, many patients can begin to show signs of congestive heart failure (coughing,
exercise intolerance, etc.)
We also know that oral disease causes, in many cases, intense and significant pain in your
pet. Just think about how your mouth hurts when a tooth breaks, becomes abscessed, or
loosened. We know that oral pain can significantly reduce your pet's intake of water. In
cats, any reduction of water intake can have a large impact for other diseases.
Our goal is to provide dental care before disease becomes significant and severe. For this,
then, we have designed three programs for dental cleanings. Each program is specifically
designed for varying levels of oral disease.
BRIEF DENTAL CLEANING USING CONSCIOUS SEDATION
In our dental clinic, we know one of the largest obstacles to having a pet's teeth cleaned is
the fear and anxiety concerning use of general anesthetics. We have designed a procedure that
allows us to thoroughly clean and polish the teeth without the use of general anesthesia. In
our patients with mild to moderate plaque, we perform a dental cleaning that utilizes only a
mild sedative. The patient, both dogs and cats, are moderately sedated using a "cocktail" of
narcotics. The patient is conscious but otherwise unaware of the procedure. A complete
scaling of the teeth, both manually and with ultrasonic de-scalers is performed. The teeth
are then polished with fluoride and a sealant applied to each tooth. The entire procedure
takes as little as twenty to thirty minutes. This procedure is designed for patients in good
health and mild oral disease. This dental program has been a huge success in our practice and
our belief is that we could literally prevent terrible oral disease if we could clean and
polish pets' teeth earlier.
DENTAL CLEANING - MODERATE DISEASE
Our second dental cleaning program involves the use of general anesthesia and intravenous
fluids. This procedure is for the older patient with, oftentimes, concurrent illnesses.
Intra-procedural monitoring is critically important in these patients as well as the
continuous administration of intravenous fluids. Dental extractions and gingival flaps are
not anticipated at this level.
DENTAL CLEANING - EXTENSIVE DISEASE
Our third program is reserved for patients with significant oral disease that may require
extractions, root planing, gingival pedicle flaps, etc. We utilize general anesthesia,
intravenous fluids, local anesthetics, and liberal use of intra-operative and post-operative
narcotics. We know that oral surgeries can be painful. By utilizing preemptive analgesia, our
hope is to completely minimize your pet's post-operative pain.
Each dental cleaning program is priced according to the needs of the patient and severity of
disease. Our aim is to clean your pet's teeth as needed and prevent mild plaque build-up from
turning into a severe life-threatening disease process.
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GINGIVAL PEDICLE FLAPS, POST-EXTRACTION
Following extraction of some of the larger teeth, especially the upper canine teeth, it
is important to cover the defect. After the upper canine tooth is pulled, for example, there
is an open avenue into the nasal cavity. This open avenue can lead to chronic sneezing, nasal
discharge and more deep seated infections.
To cover this "hole," the defect is debrided. The alveolar bone is curetted removing any
remaining infective tissue from the canine tooth. A bone graft, using CONSIL, a synthetic
bioglass, is placed into the bony defect. Then a double layer gingival flap is "slid" over
the defect and sutured to the bordering gingiva. The CONSIL attracts new bone cells called
osteoblasts to migrate into this bioglass matrix, filling the defect with new bone.
CONSIL is also used when trying to save a tooth that has lost a lot of its supporting bone,
usually due to severe periodontal infections. The gingiva is elevated away from the tooth
root. The tooth root is planed or scraped free of infective tissue. The synthetic
graft material is contoured around the tooth roots and the gingival is closed over, suturing
to normal gum tissue.
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