What to Expect in
Your Pet’s Dental Treatment
Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease is very common in both cats and dogs. It is the primary cause of tooth decay, tooth loss, and infections that can spread to the rest of the body and seriously damage internal organs.
The best way to prevent periodontal disease in pets is with an annual dental exam and teeth cleaning. When you schedule a dental cleaning at Roanoke Animal Hospital, here is what you can expect.
Before The Procedure
Starting at 10 pm the night before your pet’s dental appointment, you should restrict any access to food, water is permitted.
When you arrive at the hospital the morning of the dental procedure, our team will collect a phone number to contact you before & during the procedure in case there are any questions or concerns.
Prior to the dental procedure, we will perform a pre-operative exam and collect blood for a basic blood screen. For young pets, basic bloodwork is all that is needed. For senior pets, we typically advise a more extensive blood panel be performed ahead of the scheduled dental appointment day, so that we may identify and prevent any potential complications due to unknown pre-existing medical conditions, etc.
These steps help to ensure your pet’s safety while your pet is under anesthesia during the dental procedure.
During The Dental Treatment
Before any dental work begins, your pet will be given anesthesia to put them to sleep during their dental procedure. Throughout the procedure, an IV catheter will be present to allow immediate access and allow fluids to be administered which help maintain hydration and blood pressure. An experienced veterinary technician performs the dental cleaning/polishing, while an individually assigned veterinary assistant is providing constant monitoring of all vital signs including pulse, blood pressure, temperature, ECG, pulse oxygenation, and respiration. All of these steps and precautions help to ensure your pet’s safety during & after receiving anesthesia!
The veterinary technician will thoroughly clean your pet’s teeth, scaling away all plaque and tartar and then polishing the teeth to a bright white. During the procedure, a full mouth set of digital dental X-rays will be taken to identify any bone loss, infections/abscess, cysts, tooth resorption, and other issues that may require intervention.
Your dental team including the veterinarian will closely examine and probe around your pet’s teeth and gum line using special dental instruments looking for abnormalities that may require intervention. If your pet needs extractions, a local nerve block is performed to help prevent pain for your pet. In addition, other injectable pain medications can be given to help prevent any pain associated with tooth extractions. The doctor will also assess if any teeth can benefit from more advanced procedures that can sometimes prevent teeth from requiring extraction.
Once the dental procedure is complete and the pet has recovered from anesthesia, your pet will be ready to leave. Your veterinarian will advise on post-procedure homecare providing written instructions, which may include pain medications to help in recovery if extractions are performed.
Advanced Dental Services At Roanoke Animal Hospital
Roanoke Animal Hospital is ready to care for all of your veterinary needs, including pet dentistry. To schedule a dental examination and cleaning for your pet, please use our online form or call us at 540-343-8021 to schedule an appointment. We look forward to seeing you!
Other dental services at our clinic include:
Advanced periodontal therapy
When necessary closed and open root planning is performed with perioceutical treatment (products used locally within periodontal pockets, specifically designed to help with periodontal disease) and bone regeneration.
Restorative procedures
We are able to apply bonded sealants to help protect and reduce pain associated with fractured teeth, and perform composite restorations for various conditions including enamel hypocalcification (low calcium levels in the enamel) and caries (cavities).
Oral mass removal
If there are any growths in your pet’s mouth (abscesses, cysts, or other masses), we are able to handle the removal of those masses