St. Albert Animal Clinic offers comprehensive dental programs to help ensure the health and well being of your pets. An unhealthy mouth is an unhappy pet. The bacteria from diseased teeth can travel through the body having serious side effects on the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys & brain. Here is some information on the work we do to keep your pet smiling happily at you.
DENTAL PROPHYLAXIS (CLEANING) |
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A dental prophylaxis is performed not only to clean the teeth, but also to evaluate the oral cavity for any other problems that might be present. The cleaning not only includes what you can see, but also the area under the gum line, which is the most important part. For this reason, “Non-anesthetic” cleaning is not a viable option. The area under the gum line, as well as the inside of the mouth is not cleaned effectively. In addition, the teeth are not polished, which as we know will leave the cleaned surface rough and increase the adherence of plaque bacteria and hasten dental disease. Before the prophylaxis can begin, the patient must be placed under general anesthetic. This will greatly increase patient comfort and effectiveness of cleaning. In addition, it allows us to place an endotracheal tube in the patient's trachea. This will protect the lungs from the bacteria that are being removed from the teeth. PROPHYLAXIS:
Step 1. Supragingival cleaning: This is cleaning the area above the gum line. It is usually accomplished by mechanical scalers in our animal
patients. This increases the speed that the cleaning can be performed, which decreases anesthetic time.
Step 5. Treatment planning: This step is where the teeth and entire oral cavity are evaluated, using not only our eyes, but a periodontal probe to
determine if there is a periodontal pocket. Finally, dental radiographs are taken to determine the extent of the disease process present. Using all of these modalities, a plan is
developed (with the owners input) to reestablish the patient’s oral health. This article & photos has been adapted from the American Veterinary Dental Society. |
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HOME CARE – TOOTH BRUSHING
- Start by gently handling the muzzle area for a few seconds on a regular basis. For best results, choose “quiet times” only for handling your pet’s mouth and muzzle area. End each session on a positive note.
- Next, introduce a pet toothpaste.
- Introduce a small amount of toothpaste with a finger.
- Start with the canine teeth (fangs) and gradually work around the entire mouth. Be sure to include the gums as well as the teeth..
- Now it’s time to introduce the toothbrush – use one provided or recommended by your veterinarian.
- Wet the bristles and place a line of toothpaste on the brush pressing it firmly into the bristles with your finger. Hold the toothbrush like a pen and concentrate solely on the canine teeth using a gentle circular motion.
- You can now start to work along the top teeth from the canines to the back of the mouth using a gentle circular motion.
- Gradually build up the amount of time and pressure applied to each tooth.
- It is not necessary to brush the inside surfaces as most of the tartar accumulation occurs on the outside surface.
- Your final step is brushing the front teeth.
- Gently take hold of the muzzle and lift the upper lip.
- Use an up and down motion on the front teeth.
Home Brushing Tips Adapted from Royal Canin
Canine link = Simple Steps to Easier Brushing
Feline Link = Simple Steps to Easier Brushing