Dr. Jessica Darmofal
43rd Avenue Animal Hospital
Good morning. I'm Dr. Darmofal at 43rd Avenue Animal Hospital, and I want to talk to you today about dental disease in pets. This is my friend Tino. He's here for dental today because he's got some pretty bad teeth, so, unfortunately, we'll probably need to do a lot of work.
I'd like to show you what he's got going on here. When I lift up his lip, you can see all the heavy tartar, and right here, you can see where the gums are starting to recede back from the tooth, so that tooth is probably bad. We will take x-rays under anesthesia, which will help us better evaluate the overall health of all teeth. Let's go take a look.
Thank you for joining us in dental land. You've currently got a patient on the table right now. Sky, our veterinary nurse, is presently taking x-rays of the teeth, and nurse Allison is monitoring the anesthesia. Many pet parents have concerns about their pets going under anesthesia. For a dental cleaning, we need them to be fully under in order for us to get good x-rays and to evaluate and clean the teeth thoroughly. We take anesthesia very seriously, so we go to the full extent of pre-op checks as well as full anesthesia monitoring during the procedure. Our nursing team is watching your pet constantly, watching their heart rate, EKG, pulse ox, blood pressure, and the full nine.
If there's a problem, we can immediately correct it, and if needed, stop anesthesia so that your pet can be as safe as possible and get their teeth clean and beautiful. Here you can see a full set of dental x-rays. When your pet is here for a dental, they get each and every tooth X-rayed so that we can look at not only the surface of the tooth but also all of this, the tooth root underneath the surface. We're also looking at the health of the bone around the tooth, looking for any fractures, abscesses, or other abnormalities that could be hiding beneath the surface.
As you can see here, Sky is probing each individual tooth, checking for periodontal pockets and other tooth abnormalities. After thoroughly evaluating each tooth, we can determine if the tooth is healthy enough to stay. As you can see in these pictures, a tooth that maybe has a little bit of tartar and a little bit of periodontal disease can probably be cleaned up and left in the mouth. However, as you can see in these next images, if the tooth is severely diseased, it will need to be removed to ensure your pet can recover and be as happy and healthy as possible.
What is a 'dog teeth cleaning?"
We offer a comprehensive canine dental cleaning procedure that encompasses cleaning, scaling, and polishing your dog's teeth. This thorough process is conducted under full anesthesia for your pet's comfort and safety. Additionally, we perform full-mouth radiographs and necessary extractions if dental issues are present. To maintain hydration and alleviate any discomfort, we provide fluid therapy during the procedure, along with post-operative pain medications for a comfortable recovery. Your dog's oral health is our priority, and our goal is to give them a brighter, healthier smile.
What are some signs of bad dental hygiene?
Bad breath, loose or missing teeth, tarter, gingivitis and poor eating habits are all signs of poor dental health.
How can I care for my dog's teeth at home?
Dental chews that are proven to decrease plaque from C.E.T. is a great home care option. However, nothing replaces brushing your dog's teeth at home, using a pet safe tooth paste and a soft bristle brush.
Our blog on dental care and post dental home care is a fantastic resource to lean more about dental health in your pooch!
If you still have other questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (602) 843-5452, or you can email us at [email protected]. But please do reach out, and we'll get back to you as fast as we can. Don't forget to follow us on social media https://www.facebook.com/43AAH/, https://www.instagram.com/43rdaveanimalhospital/