Before your pet has a dental, they are examined to assess their overall health. Any pet five years of age or older must have pre-anesthetic bloodwork performed before a dental. This is done to help ensure that they are healthy enough for anesthesia. The pre-anesthetic bloodwork can detect if a pet is anemic, has an infection, or has any liver or kidney problems.
While your pet is anestitized during a dental, they are monitored very closely. We are able to monitor their heart rate, breathing, pulse, ekg, and the oxygenation level of their blood. Some pets may be given extra fluids to help keep them hydrated during anesthesia. We place an IV catheter in all pets which is used to easily give any needed drugs or fluids during anesthesia.
In a dental, the teeth are cleaned using a dental scaler. The scaler thoroughly removes all the plaque and tarter from the teeth. The scaler is also able to clean the area between the tooth and the gum where plaque likes to hide.
Any teeth that are loose or infected are removed during a dental. An infected tooth often causes pain, and most often the only way to clear the infection completely is to remove the tooth. A loose tooth is a sign that the tooth and the gum surrounding the tooth is unhealthy. If not removed the loose tooth can cause further problems such as pain, infection, and additional damage to the tissue surrounding the tooth. Sometimes owners are surprised when their pet has several teeth removed during a dental. In reality, a dog or a cat with just a few healthy teeth can eat their food easier and have less harmful bacteria in their mouths than a dog or cat with a mouth full of unhealthy teeth.
After a dental, the pet usually goes home that same day with oral pain medication, and antibiotics if needed. Most pets do very well after a dental, and have no problem eating their normal dinner that evening.
