|
What’s Involved in a Typical Pet Teeth Cleaning?
 This is a great question because teeth cleaning for a pet
is a little bit more involved that what we as humans experience.
Since all our dental work is customized for each pet and
their specific oral hygiene issues, there really is no “typical
pet teeth cleaning.” Still, some general comments can be
made and the following description outlines how things typically
unfold.
Most pet dentals are day admissions. This means the pets
are admitted early in the morning and then free to go home
in the late afternoon.
All patients admitted for surgery or dentistry receives
an initial physical examination by the veterinarian with
careful attention paid to the mouth, teeth, heart and lungs.
The veterinarian reviews any pertinent historical facts,
and also performs a screening electrocardiogram – also called
an ECG or EKG. Any unexpected abnormalities are either resolved
or brought to the family’s attention for further investigation
or treatment. Pre-anesthetic blood testing is also often
performed to help assess the degree of internal damage already
wrought by the pet’s dental disease.
Most pets undergoing teeth cleaning at the Chastain Veterinary
Medical Group (CVMG) facilities receive an intravenous catheter
– or IV - for intravenous fluid therapy during the procedure.
This may sound a little over the top, but in fact, intravenous
fluid therapy is simple and greatly improves the safety of
general anesthesia. It helps maintain normal blood pressure,
normal kidney function, and normal electrolyte balance and
it prevents post-op dehydration. In addition, if a serious
problem were to develop during the procedure, the presence
of an IV line permits immediate emergency treatment.
As soon as anesthesia is induced, a breathing tube is gently
placed in the pet’s throat to supply oxygen and anesthetic
gas. At all CVMG facilities we use only isoflurane and sevoflurane
for gas anesthesia. These are the two safest gas anesthetics
available. Once anesthesia is underway, fluid therapy is
adjusted as needed. Electronic monitoring sensors, including
ECG, pulse oximetry (a blood oxygen monitor) and often blood
pressure sensors are then fitted to the patient. The pet’s
eyes are lubricated with ophthalmic ointment to prevent corneal
damage and a warm water recirculating blanket is placed.
The patient’s eyes, ears, and face are covered with a towel
to prevent contamination. Packing material is temporarily
placed in the back of the pet’s mouth to prevent accidental
inhalation of contaminated water or dental debris. All patients
rest on or are covered by their own clean, dry, sanitized
towel.
Anesthetic monitoring, both by electronic equipment and
human beings is constant through out the procedure. The veterinarian
and veterinary nurse are never more than a few feet from
the patient at any time.
Once the pet is anesthetized, comfortable, and squared away,
the veterinary nurse acts as the dental hygienist. He or
she proceeds to clean the patient’s teeth under the close
observation of the veterinarian.
After the teeth are thoroughly cleaned, rinsed, polished,
and treated with fluoride, the veterinarian examines every
part of the patient’s mouth and makes note of any abnormalities.
Dental x-rays of any abnormal areas may also be taken. Only
at this point - once the teeth have been cleaned, polished
and inspected and any dental radiographs taken and interpreted
– can the true extent of the pet’s dental disease be fully
appreciated.
The veterinarian next formulates a customized additional
treatment plan, if necessary, always taking into account
the family’s love, insights and preferences. The veterinarian
will then telephone the pet owner with his or her findings
and suggestions for any additional treatments which may be
warranted. Any suggested additional treatments are explained
to the pet owner along with the costs involved. We strive
to be informative without putting any pressure on the pet
owner. Our job at this point is make sure that the family
is aware of all of the problems that we have uncovered, if
any. This allows the pet owner to make an informed decision
as to what to do next.
If agreed, any needed additional treatments – such as oral
antibiotic therapy or surgical extractions can be completed.
In most cases, any required additional treatments can be
performed at the same time as the basic teeth cleaning.
When all the dental work is done, the patient is recovered
under the watchful eye of the veterinarian and the veterinary
nurse. Most pets are up and about within just a few minutes.
Bad teeth and infected gums can be very painful. That’s
why we place special emphasis on pain relief. This may take
the form of medications administered before, during, or after
the procedure, as well as special dental nerve blocks as
needed.
When it is time for the pet to go home,
all home care and follow-up instructions are fully explained
to the family
and presented in written form as well. In some cases, we
may even have before and after pictures of the pet’s dental
problems & procedures for you. We will also demonstrate
some of the various options for home pet dental care. We
try to do this using your own pet when ever possible. The
more you can do at home, the less we have to do at the veterinary
clinic!
Lastly, experience has shown that most patients leaving
after dental will need to return in a few days or few weeks
for a follow-up visit. Most dentistry follow-ups are complimentary.
| 
