Dental disease is very common in our companion animals, an assessment of your pets teeth is carried out when they come for their vaccinations and routine health check. 

Signs of dental disease to look out for:

• Bad breath 
• Inflamed/red/bleeding gums – periodontal disease
• Plaque/Tartar build up on the teeth
• Reduced appetite/dropping food/preferring soft food
• Excessive drooling 
• Pawing/rubbing face

What do dental procedures involve? 

Your pet will have an appointment in the morning and have a pre-anaesthetic health check to ensure your pet is well. We offer a pre-anaesthetic blood profile to check their liver & kidney function, along with their red and white blood cell parameters to ensure they are fit for their procedure, this is an optional extra but we do advise these especially in older animals. They will then have a premedication injection before being induced to anaesthesia where they will be monitored continuously by one of our nurses. Once settled, we then chart the teeth and assess the gingiva health and tartar present and check for any damaged teeth, periodontal pockets and decay. We clean the teeth using an ultrasonic scaler to dislodge the tartar and clean underneath the gum line. We frequently take radiographs to assess the roots below the gumline to check for any problems. Extractions are carried out on those teeth that are damaged/loose/diseased, these can be simple or require more complex surgical extraction depending on the tooth’s condition. Dental procedures can be very painful so your pet will have pain relief medication to come home with to ensure they are comfortable. Post operative checks with a nurse are carried out after their procedure to check your pet is recovering well and ensure their extraction sites (if needed) are healing and preventative care can be discussed. 

February is Dental Month, you can book a dental check with a nurse, or an appointment with a vet if you have any concerns.

by Erica Clifford MRCVS, Ryedale Vets