We are quickly realizing the benefits of proper dental care. Pets live longer when provided with regular dental cleanings and home care.

If you’ve ever been to the dentist yourself, you’ll have a better idea of what happens during a pet’s dental procedure. The main difference is that cats and dogs are put under anesthesia to enable a better cleaning and examination of the mouth. Dogs and cats will not sit still for a thorough cleaning and evaluation of their mouth, as they do not understand what we are trying to do for them; therefore anesthesia is required for this procedure.

Pre-anesthetic blood tests: This is a precautionary measure to help determine if there will be complications with the anesthesia, if drugs need to be altered, or if the dental should be delayed while other underlying problems are addressed.

Assuming the blood tests are normal enough to continue with the surgery, the pet is then anesthetized. Once the pet has been anesthetized, a full dental examination is performed. The veterinarian and the veterinary technician work together during the dental procedure. Any abnormalities are noted and are documented in the pet’s medical record. Possible abnormalities include deep pockets in the gum line or missing, broken, crooked or discolored teeth. Oral tumors and other problems are also checked for at this time.

The veterinary technician then performs the dental cleaning. They use an ultrasonic scaler very similar to the one used on human teeth at the dentist’s office. Plaque and tartar are removed from the surface of each tooth. Subgingival scaling is done to remove any debris that may be sitting below the gum line.

Once the teeth have been thoroughly cleaned with the ultrasonic scaler and a hand scaler, any teeth that need extracted are removed at this time. If there are teeth that are suspicious, digital dental radiographs are taken at this time to determine if extractions are needed or not.

Now that the teeth have been cleaned, and any suspicious teeth have been checked and possibly extracted, the veterinary technician polishes the tooth surface. This element of the dental procedure is essential to keep the teeth in their best condition. A special polish is used to make a smooth surface on the tooth. During the scaling process, small grooves are made in the enamel coating on the tooth. Polishing fixes these grooves, making a smoother and hence more difficult surface for plaque and tartar to build up on in the future.

After the teeth have been thoroughly examined, cleaned and polished, the procedure is not entirely finished. Home care is one of the most important aspects of pet dental care and should be discussed by the veterinary professional with the pet owner at the time of the dental. Several options are available today making home dental care an easy part of the overall treatment of your pet’s health.

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Registered Veterinary Dental Technicians

As described on the American Society of Veterinary Dental Technician's website, the society and it's training was created in 1994 out of a need for "an organization that would recognize the key role technicians and other members of the staff play in the dental portion of a practice... Every animal that enters a veterinary hospital is a potential candidate for a dental procedure, preventative or therapeutic. The better trained the staff is to recognize signs of dental problems, the easier it is to communicate this need to the client."

We believe in offering the highest quality of care and provide our technicians with ongoing Continuing Education. Many of our technicians have completed the online course and are certified as Registered Dental Technicians.