Dental and Oral Surgery

High-Quality Dentistry & Oral Surgery at an Affordable Price

Quality oral healthcare is an important part of caring for a pet and necessary to ensure they live comfortable, healthy lives.

Our experienced veterinary care team understands your pet is a family member.  Our goal is to provide high quality care to help improve the comfort and quality of our patients’ lives. Since we offer the most advanced diagnostics available, you can be certain you are providing your pet with quality care.

Our clinic offers an affordable Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment (COHAT). This approach emphasizes diagnosis and specific treatments to control periodontal disease and to reverse the destruction caused by the disease process. Our dentistry and oral surgery service provides comprehensive dental, oral and surgical treatment for cats and dogs.

How common is dental disease?

According to the American Veterinary Dental College, periodontal disease is the most common clinical condition occurring in adult dogs and cats.  It is estimated that over 70% of dogs and cats over the age of three have some evidence of this disease and it is entirely preventable.

Signs and symptoms of periodontal disease include red or swollen gums, bad breath, a yellow-brown crust near the gum line, discomfort when the mouth or gums are touched, loose teeth and a possible decrease in appetite or weight loss due to difficulty chewing. Periodontal disease may lead to systemic infections and possibly damage the heart, liver and kidneys.

A Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment (COHAT) procedure includes:

• Pre-anesthetic physical examination
• General anesthesia, which is required to perform a thorough oral cleaning and exam
• Anesthetic vital sign monitoring by licensed professional care team members to include blood pressure, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, temperature, EKG
• IV catheter and fluid therapy
• Full mouth intraoral digital X-rays
• Dental cleaning which includes ultrasonic and hand scaling below and above the gum line, polishing, fluoride treatment and complete dental charting
• Simple and surgical extractions, if necessary.
• All patients having oral surgery receive pre- and post- op pain medication to include nerve blocks and systemic medication to ensure that they remain comfortable both during and after the procedure.
• Each patient is kept comfortable with a warming system
• Follow-up exam if necessary

What is a COHAT?

This video covers why a pet dental cleaning is called a “COHAT” and what you can expect during the procedure.

Why Dental Radiographs Are Important

Dental radiographs (x-rays) are one of the most important diagnostic tools available. Advanced radiography equipment at our facility includes digital intraoral veterinary dental x-rays which provide superior quality for examination of individual teeth or sections of the jaws. These radiographs help aid in diagnosis, treatment planning, monitoring treatment and post-operative treatment success.

Radiographs allow the internal anatomy of the teeth, tooth roots, and the bone that surrounds the roots to be examined. They are also used to identify problems with the crowns and roots of the teeth, as well as the jaw bones, nasal cavity and soft tissues of the mouth.

Radiographs also help examine teeth that appear healthy but may be compromised on the inside and can help identify many conditions that may otherwise go undiagnosed.

Preanesthetic Blood Work

Preanesthetic blood work for dental procedures is recommended to ensure that your pet is a good candidate for anesthesia and surgery.  A preoperative test includes a complete blood count (CBC) and a chemistry profile.  Preanesthetic blood work can be competed the morning of the dental procedure or during a preoperative visit prior to the procedure date.

What to Expect After the Dental Procedure

To continue excellent dental care we recommend that you brush your pet’s teeth at home daily. A veterinary care team member can review the proper care you should provide at home.

Depending on the extent of dental disease and the type of procedures performed, it is possible that for several days after the visit your pet may be sensitive around his/her mouth and may experience difficulty chewing.  Canned food or moistened dry food is recommended.  Blood tinged saliva may be observed for several days after extractions and dental surgery, but should decrease in color and consistency.  Anesthesia may wear off slowly, so it is normal for your pet to appear drowsy for the next 24 hours.