Why might my pet need a dental procedure?
Your pet may have been recommended a dental procedure for one of a number of reasons. Most commonly this is to manage periodontal disease. Sometimes it may be recommended to address teeth that are broken, or have damaged enamel for another reason. In some cases, it may be a combination of more than one reason.
What will happen during the procedure?
A dental procedure is carried out under general anaesthetic. It is important that your pet is brought in fasted. They should have a light meal being no later than midnight the night before. If they are due any medication on the morning of the procedure, it can be given in a small mouthful of food but please keep the amount to a minimum.
Your pet will be admitted with one of our nursing team. Your pet may be recommended a blood test around the time of the dental procedure. If you choose to have this done, the sample will be taken on the morning of the procedure, if not already done a few days before.
Once it is nearly time for their procedure, they will have a combination of pain relief and sedative administered. They will then have their anaesthetic induction agent by IV injection. There will be a small shaved patch on their leg where their IV cannula is placed. An endotracheal breathing tube is placed to provide oxygen and anaesthetic gas throughout the procedure.
Once they are anaesthetised, a protective pack is placed at the back of their throat to protect the airway against water and debris. Their oral cavity, including the back of the throat, the hard palate, and under the tongue is examined, and all the teeth are carefully examined above and below the gum line and on all sides using a small probe to check for attachment loss. All our findings are recorded on a dental chart. At this point the teeth are cleaned using an ultrasonic scaler to remove any calculus and clean all sides of the teeth and even below the gum margin (an area known as the gingival sulcus).
X-rays are taken after cleaning – in cats a full mouth x-ray series is always taken as it is common for dental disease to be found affecting the roots that cannot be seen without radiographs. Full mouth radiographs are not generally taken in dogs – instead x-rays are taken of any individual teeth where it is not immediately clear whether or not the tooth needs to be extracted.
Teeth that are severely affected by periodontal disease, as well as fractured or damaged teeth are then extracted. In some cases, particularly large teeth such as the canine or those with multiple roots, a surgical extraction is performed, which involves lifting a section of gum to access the roots of the teeth. This is then closed with absorbable sutures after the tooth is removed.
Your pet will go home later on the afternoon of the procedure. They may be a little quieter than normal, and should be allowed to rest quietly, but remain observed. Soft food is recommended after the procedure if any teeth have been extracted – you will be given more detailed recommendations in their discharge instructions.
