Dental procedures

Dental disease in pets

It is estimated that 70–80% of all cats and dogs aged two years and older suffer from dental disease, including gingivitis and periodontitis. More than half of the patients seen at The Pines Vet are affected by these preventable disorders. Periodontal disease is a progressive disorder affecting the teeth and gums, caused by a build-up of plaque and tartar on the tooth surface.

Without adequate care and attention, periodontal disease can result in discomfort, bad breath, irreversible damage to the gums, premature loss of teeth, and infections that can affect other organs in the body such as the heart, liver and kidneys.

Why check your pet’s teeth and gums?

Have you noticed any bad breath, red (painful) gums or a build-up of plaque or pus? These are all signs of gum disease and tooth decay. For our furry friends, the pain can be just as real as when we humans have a raw nerve or inflamed gums. But they hide their distress and cannot tell us when it hurts!

Dental problems and overall health

Untreated dental problems can develop into serious, even life-threatening, diseases that require expensive long-term medication. Gum disease and rotten teeth can lead to infections that spread to the bloodstream and vital organs such as the kidneys, liver and heart, especially in ageing pets.

We recommend a preventative approach

Regular dental cleaning helps your pet live a longer, healthier life. Just like in humans, we recommend an annual dental scale and polish for dogs and cats to prevent the decay and gum disease that can lead to teeth needing to be removed.

The dental check process

During the dental check, we will review your pet’s teeth and gums and discuss any treatment that may be required. Of course, if your pet’s teeth are healthy, we will let you know what to look out for in the future and give you some tips for keeping their teeth nice and clean!

Dental grading

• Grade 0: Clinically normal; no gingival inflammation or periodontitis clinically evident.

• Grade 1: Inflammation of the gingival tissues, which advances as the tissues become more inflamed; there may be bleeding with probing. Gingivitis is limited to the gingival tissues, with no attachment loss and no tooth mobility. Gingivitis is reversible.

• Grade 2: Pocket formation and/or gingival recession are occurring, resulting in attachment loss of up to 25%.

• Grade 3: 25–50% attachment loss around a tooth; slight tooth mobility, pocketing, gingival recession and early furcation exposure may be present.

• Grade 4: Marked (over 50%) attachment loss; may appear as furcation exposure, deep pockets, mobility and/or gingival recession.

Dental procedures

Pets have teeth just like people, and they need regular care to keep their teeth and gums healthy. A yearly professional scale and polish is extremely important to protect the teeth and gums from disease and tooth loss. Like a visit to the dentist, our hospital has a professional dental unit that scales and polishes and, if needed, uses a specially designed high-speed drill to make tooth removal easier and less painful. Steps involved in dental procedures include:

• General physical examination

• Pre-operative blood tests

• Pre-operative antibiotics if indicated

• Pre-emptive pain management

• General anaesthesia

• Intravenous fluids

• Oral rinse with chlorhexidine

• Supragingival scaling – removing plaque and tartar from the crown surface of the teeth

• Subgingival scaling – removing plaque and tartar from under the gums

• Detection of remaining plaque and tartar

• Polishing

• Irrigation

• Fluoride application

• Probing and exploring

• Complete charting

• Dental X-rays

• Treatment plan

• Anaesthetic recovery

• Home care

• Post-procedure check-ups

Questions? Bookings?

Do you have any questions, or would you like to book an appointment? Please call us on 07 5665 7116 or email info@pinesvet.com.au.