Proper cleaning of the teeth requires complete cooperation of the patient so plaque and tartar can be removed thoroughly.  Anesthesia is required to thoroughly clean the teeth.  Although anesthesia always carries a degree of risk, the modern anesthetics in use in our hospital minimize this risk, even for older pets.  Blood will be analyzed prior to anesthesia to evaluate blood cell counts and organ functions.  The amount of tests will depend on your dog's age and general health status.  There are twelve steps in the cleaning process that will be used on your dog:

 1. Oral examination on the unanesthetized animal - to check for symmetry, swellings, pain and an individual examination of each tooth for movement, fractures and position.

 2.Oral examination under general anesthesia - prior to intubating the entire mouth and throat is checked for lesions, masses and abnormalities. Occlusion will also be checked at this time.  We examine individual teeth for mobility, fractures, malocclusion, periodontal disease and probe for gingival pocket depths.

3. Supragingival scaling - removes the tartar, plaque and bacteria from above the gum line.

4. Subgingival scaling - removes the tartar, plaque and bacteria from below the gum line creating a healthier environment for healing and reattachment of gum tissue.

5. Polishing - smoothes the surface of the teeth, making them resistant to additional plaque formation.

6. Irrigation - with irrigation, dislodged diseased tissue and plaque are removed from the gingival pocket.

7. Post cleaning examination and diagnostics - each tooth is examined individually with the help of a periodontal probe and explorer and radiographs are taken when the exam reveals disease.

8. Charting - records disease present before therapy and treatments done to correct the disease.  We will also include follow up recommendations and home care instructions.

9. Therapy to treat lesions (or recommended for referral) including Oravet and Perioceutic - Oravet is a sealant that binds to the enamel of the tooth and prevents bacteria from adhering.  The product we apply after the cleaning will last for 2 weeks.

10. Fluoride - coating decreases teeth sensitivity, strengthens enamel, and decreases the rate of future plaque formation.

11. Home care instruction - remember you are a vital part of the dental team.  Our nurses and assistants will help you choose the care that you can do and set up a daily schedule to increase the interval between teeth cleaning appointments and add years to your pets life.

12. Follow up progress visits are essential as any of the preceding steps.  The time between oral exams is based on the degree of disease and your ability to provide home care.  It can range from monthly to every 6 months.

Does your veterinarian encourage you to provide home dental care for your pet?

The team at Companions Animal Hospital does whatever we can to encourage home dental care, before AND after a professional cleaning.  We understand that may owners have difficulty in trying to brush teeth so we do our best to educate owners on all the options for home care, including brushing, Veggie dents, Hextra Chews, Aquadent, Nolvadent Rinse, Oravet, and special diets - prescription diets, veterinary only diets and over-the-counter diets.   Our goal is to maintain your pet's oral health which helps maintain their overall health and keep them pain free!  The better a client does with home care, the less we have to do here so we want our clients to be able to make an informed decision when it comes to caring for the pet's oral health just like they are able to make an informed decision regarding other health care needs and options.  Education is key!