FAQs
Why does my pet need a veterinary dentist?
Only veterinarians who have completed a program approved by the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) can be called a Board Certified Veterinary Dentist™. A veterinary dentist can diagnose and treat most dental/oral problems under one anesthesia. In veterinary school there are only four years to learn everything about multiple species; unfortunately, students are taught little to nothing about animal dentistry and oral health. Additionally, annual trips to the Veterinary Dental Forum keep the entire staff abreast of the latest happenings in veterinary oral surgery and oral care products.
My pet isn’t acting like they are in pain. What are some of the most common clinical signs that my pet’s mouth is painful and/or has oral disease?
- Halitosis
- Facial Swelling
- Chronic eye problems
- Sneezing
- Nasal discharge
- Rubbing face
- Dropping food when eating
- Abnormal chewing
- Jaw out of alignment
- More calculus accumulation on one side of the mouth
- Suddenly acting aggressive or more recluse.
- Not eating – most animals will continue to eat even when they have a painful mouth.
*** HOWEVER, MOST ANIMALS SHOW NO SIGNS OF ORAL PAIN AT ALL! ***
Is my pet’s broken tooth painful?
YES! If the pulp is exposed, the tooth will be acutely painful. The pulp is the living portion of the tooth that contains the nerves, blood vessels, and lymphatics. Most pets, however, do not show obvious signs of tooth pain. These pets will typically chew on the other side of the mouth or avoid using the broken tooth until the nerve dies in a matter of weeks to months. Once the nerve dies, the open pulp cavity is an area where food, saliva, debris, and bacteria enter the dying tooth resulting in infection. Overtime the pain associated with the broken tooth changes from acute to a chronic, dull pain. Antibiotics are not indicated to treat a fractured tooth. They will help control the infection temporarily, but the problem returns after the medication has finished and resistant bacteria are present. The infection will persist until the source of the infection, the infected pulp, is removed either by root canal therapy or surgically extracting the tooth. Root canal therapy is much less painful and invasive while maintaining the function of the tooth, rather than the alternative of surgically removing the tooth.
Why can’t you tell me exactly what treatment needs to be done BEFORE my pet is asleep?
As with human teeth, we cannot see the whole tooth just by looking into the mouth, almost 2/3rd of the whole tooth is below the gumline. When we take dental radiographs, we are able to assess the entire tooth including the root(s) and surrounding structures below the gum line. In order to do this safely and efficiently, each patient must be intubated and placed under general anesthesia. COHAT’s are recommended annually. We require full mouth intraoral dental radiographs at least once a year for all pets. If there has been treatment of more advanced dental disease, we may recommend more frequent evaluations. At Animal Dental Clinic we utilize the latest digital x-ray equipment on the market, which allows us to be more efficient and use less radiation. The doctor reviews all of the radiographs as part of the process to present you with a treatment plan for your pet. A copy of the images is sent to your veterinarian and is available to the client on our patient portal.
