WHAT'S INVOLVED IN TEETH CLEANING

AND WHY IS GENERAL ANESTHESIA NEEDED?

	Before Teeth Cleaning		After Teeth Cleaning

To properly clean the pet's mouth, full access to all the teeth is needed. The pet will need to allow very delicate exploration under the gum line with pointed instruments, flushing with water, and the sound of the ultrasonic scaler and low speed polisher, just as you do when you see your own dentist. Unfortunately, we can't simply explain this to your dog or cat and expect them to hold their mouth open and allow this kind of manipulation. General anesthesia allows for painless extraction of rotten teeth, fear-free cleaning and polishing, and thorough examination and cleaning of each individual tooth. Here are the six steps involved in professional cleaning:

1.       2.		The teeth are scaled with an ultrasonic scaler similar to the scaler your own dentist uses.    Once tartar is removed from the teeth, the periodontal space (the space where the tooth and gum meet) is probed and any debris containing pockets are measured for depth.
3. 4.		Radiographs are taken to assess dental bone attachment vs. periodontal bone destruction, need for extraction, and other structural evaluations. These pockets are cleaned and the tooth roots are cleaned with a hand instrument called a dental curet.
5. 6.		The teeth are polished with prophy paste the same way your teeth are polished at the dentist. A protective covering of OraVet® paste is applied to prevent plaque from forming on the newly cleaned tooth. This lasts a week or so. Any periodontal pockets are filled with an antibiotic gel.
7.		A complete dental chart is made listing any abnormalities found on each tooth individually.

General anesthesia is performed with intravenous fluid support, a dedicated anesthesia monitoring technicians, a custom protocol for each patient based on individual blood test and examination results. Respect anesthesia but do not fear it. Do not allow your pet's mouth to become painful or infected because you fear it.

Still worried?

Read what the AVMA says:

www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/Whenyourpetneedsanesthesia.aspx

Pets are thoroughly evaluated and screened for potential anesthetic risks. Dentistry is a low risk/high benefit procedure which we perform routinely on pets of all ages.