Pet tooth fractures and dental disease care.
Your pet’s dental cleaning is far different than the same procedure you undergo each year at your dentist’s office. Anesthesia is required to keep your pet safe and comfortable during the cleaning. Prior to any dental cleaning, we perform a thorough physical exam and a series of blood tests to ensure that your pet is healthy enough for this procedure. These tests also help us develop an anesthetic protocol that is unique to your pet.
Once anesthesia is administered, the cleaning begins. We use modern and safe ultrasonic equipment to clean each tooth individually, both above and below the gum line. During the entire procedure your pet’s heart rate, oxygen levels, and respiration will be closely monitored. X-rays are then taken of your pet’s mouth to assess the health of your pet’s teeth and uncover any issues below the gum line. Your veterinarian will then polish your pet’s teeth, which creates a smooth, lustrous surface that is more resistant to plaque build-up. Finally, a fluoride treatment is used to help strengthen the enamel and reduce tooth sensitivity and decay.
After the procedure, you will be sent home with detailed instructions, complimentary toothpaste and toothbrush and a scheduled appointment in 10-14 days after the procedure so that your veterinarian can perform a complimentary recheck evaluation.
What to expect when your pet needs dental extractions
Sometimes analogies are made with reference to “pulling teeth”. People might say getting their children to eat vegetables is like “pulling teeth”. We believe the reason is that “pulling teeth” is never fun or easy.
Dr. Garcia never uses the phrase “pulling teeth” with reference to dental or oral surgical procedures. This phrase is far from an accurate description of procedures requiring skill and attention to detail. Serious complications can, and unfortunately, do, arise from attempts to (literally) pull teeth.
Tooth extractions are a fairly common dental procedure performed in most veterinary practices. Some dental extractions are simple, while others can be challenging. Some teeth are particularly difficult to extract. Dental radiographs are tremendously important for the evaluation of teeth before, during, and after extractions. The “risks” associated with dental extractions are significant. Tooth fractures, failure to remove roots, excessive bleeding and jaw fractures are all complications associated with dental extractions. At El Cid Animal Clinic, we do not take any chances with the safety of your pet and only let our certified, well experienced dental veterinarian do dental extractions.
Effective pain management before, during and after a dental extraction is crucial. A number of positive outcomes are achieved when the patient is comfortable and pain-free. We want you to rest assure that your pet is not in any sort of discomfort while the extraction is being performed. When an extraction is needed, the doctor will administer a local anesthetic that will block pain to that specific area. When pain is managed correctly we then have the ability to maintain that same patient at a lighter plane of anesthesia, significantly reducing the anesthetic risk to the patient. Pain management after the procedure, including the medications given to the owners to give at home, promotes a smooth postoperative recovery for your pet.
In addition to dental surgery, we also offer thorough oral exams, dental cleanings, digital x-rays, and oral cancer diagnosis and treatment. Before we can schedule a procedure, we require digital x-rays from all pets undergoing surgery at El Cid Animal Clinic.