Frequently Asked Questions
Appointment:
Why does it seem so expensive?
Unfortunately our pets won't just open their
mouths and allow us unlimited access to their
teeth. In order to remove the calculus under
the gum line, that contributes to bone loss, we
need to have your pet under anesthesia. So a
general anesthetic is necessary to be able to
scale/polish/probe/curette the teeth properly.
In order to administer anesthesia safely, we
have to utilize proper monitoring equipment,
trained staff, anesthetic machines, fluid
pumps, warming devices and anesthetic
medications.
Is anesthesia safe?
Any anesthetic has risks. We lessen these risks
by doing preanesthetic bloodwork which looks
at your pet's internal organ function. This
gives us an overall picture of their organ
health. We also administer intravenous (IV)
fluids to help maintain their blood pressure
during the anesthetic, and help flush out the
anesthetic afterwards, helping your pet have a
smoother and faster recovery. Our staff are
there to monitor your pet throughout their
entire anesthetic, and during their recovery.
Does my pet have to stay overnight?
This procedure is a day procedure, which
means that your pet will be discharged to you
at the end of the day after he/she has
recovered from her anesthetic.
Do I have to feed him/her any differently?
If there are teeth extracted, they will need
softened/canned food for a few days.
Afterwards they should be on a dental specific
diet in order to promote better oral health.
Date:___________________________
Admission between 7:30 - 8:00am
Please remove food and water after
midnight the night before his/her surgery
and do not offer food/water the morning of
surgery. This prevents vomiting/aspiration
and helps with a smooth recovery.
For more information or if you have any
questions, please contact us at:
Dental Disease
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Email: shannondalepet@bellnet.ca
Phone: (705) 752-4777
Fax: (705) 752-2399
Or drop by and see us at
What does it mean for your pet?
1429 Main Street North
Callander, ON
P0H 1H0
And what can you do about it?
What is Dental Disease?
Over 80% of dogs and 70% of cats over the
age of 3 have some degree of dental
disease. Dental disease starts out as
gingivitis and progresses to periodontal
disease.
Inflammation
Subgingival
Calculus
Bone
Loss
Bone
Loss
Stage 1:
Gingivitis Only
Stage 2: Early
periodontal
disease,
moderate gum
inflammation,
calculus, 25%
bone loss
Stage 3:
Moderate
periodontal
disease, up to
50% bone loss,
calculus
accumulation,
mobile teeth
Stage 4: over
Breakdown of ..50% bone
..loss, root
supportive
..exposure,
tissue
"mobile teeth,
severe
periodontal
disease
How Can I Avoid Dental Disease in My Pet?
What happens during a Dental Procedure?
Once gingivitis has progressed to periodontal
disease, the damage cannot be reversed, and
a dental procedure required. However there
are ways that we can reduce the progression
of dental disease.
Your pet will be admitted to the hospital the
morning of the procedure, fasted from the
night before.
Tooth Brushing: This is the number one way to
reduce the progression of dental disease.
Brushing with a soft bristled or specially
designed pet toothbrush and pet friendly
toothpaste, is an excellent way to promote
better dental health. It is important not to use
human toothpaste because it contains fluoride.
Dental Chews: The best kind of dental chew
out there is one that can bend, is edible, and is
effective at reducing the plaque and tartar on
the teeth. Bones, antlers, and other hard
dental chews aren't recommended because
they are too hard and can actually break the
teeth. An example of a great dental chew is
C.E.T. Enzymatic Dental Chews. They are
formulated with a special antiseptic formula
and that, combined with the natural abrasion
on the rawhide, provides a proven method in
reducing plaque and bad breath.
Diet: There are dental health specific diets,
such as Hill's t/d diet. This diet is formulated
into a specially designed kibble that won't
break right when your pet bites into it, but
instead will scrub away the plaque. It has been
proven to reduce plaque, tartar, gingivitis and
staining on the teeth.
The veterinarian will perform an examination
and review any bloodwork that was done. Then
a sedative will be administered, which takes
about 15-20 minutes to take effect. An IV
catheter is then placed (which allows us direct
access to your pets vein) and IV fluids are
initiated. An intravenous anesthetic will be
administered before beginning the gas
anesthetic that he/she will be on for the
duration of the dental procedure.
We will start with a quick scaling of the surface
of the tooth to remove any large pieces of
calculus that will interfere with probing and
charting the teeth. A probe is used to look for
weaknesses in the tooth itself, periodontal
pockets (where the gums and bone have
recessed), furcations (where the roots of the
teeth are evident), and record all their findings
in your pets dental chart. If there are any
extractions required, those will be performed
by the veterinarian.
Our highly trained staff will then completely
scale all of the teeth, thus removing any and all
tartar and calculus. After this scaling, we use a
curette to go under the gum line and remove all
subgingival calculas that contribute to bone
loss. We then polish all of the teeth creating a
smooth surface, thereby making it more
difficult for plaque to adhere to the tooth. This
is followed by an antibacterial oral rinse.
Your pet is then closely monitored on his/her
recovery from anesthesia, under the care of
one of our highly trained staff, until he/she is
able to go home safely.