West Coast Veterinary Dental Services | Things You Should Know

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    What to Expect @ WCVDS
    Things You Should Know
    When Taking Your Pet to
    the Dentist

Fractured Tooth??

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1350 Kootenay Street
Vancouver, BC
V5K 4R1 Canada
Phone: 604-473-3605
Fax: 604-473-3620

Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday: 8am - 6pm
Weekends & Holidays: Closed
Our office will be closed the week of May 20 - 24th as our staff and doctors attend the World Veterinary Dental Congress

Things You Should Know When Taking Your Pet to the Dentist

The first and foremost question to answer is “Why take your pet to the dentist/veterinarian?” Pets, like people, may suffer from periodontal disease, which is responsible for oral inflammation and if untreated it will cause the loss of teeth. Periodontal infection present around the teeth may spread to the rest of the animal's body when the bacteria in the mouth enter the blood and become circulated. Dental disease rarely makes the patient “sick” but it can shorten the life span of the pet by as much as two years. In humans, not flossing alone, may shorten a person's life by 6.4 years. So taking care of your pet's teeth is a long term investment in your pets health. (i.e.: healthier and longer lives).

Why go to the veterinarian?
Dentistry means dental procedures that affect the oral health of an animal and can only legally be performed by a veterinarian. Removing the tartar visible on the crowns is not nearly enough. Periodontal disease is always infectious and is most severe under the gums. To reach these areas safely, the patient must be placed under general anesthesia. Removing tartar on an animal that is awake provides only cosmetic improvement. It does absolutely nothing to improve the health of the patient and should not be called dentistry.

What is involved in dental cleaning?
Every day plaque is deposited on the teeth . If they are not brushed, the bacteria cause inflammation that result in bad breath (halitosis), loss of support, formation of pockets, root exposures and ultimately, loss of teeth. Plaque transforms into calculus or tartar. This is a brown, mineralized deposit, easily seen on the surface of the crowns. Even good, daily brushing will not completely prevent formation of calculus. Metal dental instruments are required to remove it. This is where a professional cleaning becomes necessary. First, the teeth are probed and inspected. Then tartar and plaque are removed using scalers and curettes. Often an ultrasonic unit is used to facilitate and speed up the process. The teeth are then polished with pumice and rinsed.

Are professional cleanings enough to maintain oral health in animals?
The answer is the same as with people. No! Periodontal disease never stops. Plaque is continuously deposited and the only way to control it is to brush at least twice a day. The same is true for our pets. Because plaque deposits in a matter of hours, periodontal disease control has to be done at home with soft tooth brush and veterinarian approved tooth paste.

How often should a pet undergo a professional cleaning?
There are individual variations, but once again the answer is similar to what is done on the human side. In order to control periodontal disease efficiently, a pet should have a dental exam every 6 months and a cleaning every 6 to 12 months. If the patient suffers from established periodontal disease loose teeth may result. Consequently, dental visits should be set at more frequent intervals.

What other dental conditions often arise?
Dogs are prone to breaking teeth. Often they do not show any discomfort but if the pulp of the tooth is exposed, it gets infected and the tooth dies. Untreated, this condition results in the development of chronic abscesses and damages other organs in the body. So a fractured tooth should never be ignored, no matter how happy the dog is. Until recently the only option was to extract the tooth. Now root canal treatments are available. The procedure is similar to what is done with human teeth. The pulp chamber is accessed and the canal is cleaned and shaped. All the necrotic tissues are removed before sealing the canal at both ends. It allows the tooth to continue to function without any ongoing infection. Cats are prone to specific condition called
Resorptive Lesions. It causes formation of erosive (i.e. “pitting”) defects. These defects damage the dentin and result in broken, infected, painful teeth. The lesions can propagate inside the roots with minimal crown damage. Because there may be little to see, dental radiographs are essential to diagnose this condition correctly.

Other conditions sometimes seen include foreign bodies (i.e. Pieces of wood) stuck between teeth causing abscesses, malocclusions (the teeth do not meet properly), fractured jaws and, unfortunately, various types of cancer. Many of these problems are often discovered when the pet is brought for a dental cleaning. Owners that clean their pets' teeth regularly discover these problems earlier, making treatment simpler.

How much does dental cleaning cost?
This is the most frequently asked question and while it is an important one, even more important is what does the cost include? To perform a thorough COHAT (Complete Oral Health Assessment and Treatment) the pet needs to be anaesthetized. Cosmetic, non-anaesthesia "dentistry's" are performed without drugs or medications because only a licensed veterinarian is permitted to administer drugs to an animal. Anaesthetic protocols are determined according to each animals specifications; age, weight, health concerns, etc. Intravenous fluids are administered via catheter through out the procedure which ensures that your pet is well hydrated, aiding in a stable anaesthesia and speedy recovery.

Pre-anaesthetic blood screening is recommended prior to a procedure, something that can be done through your regular veterinarian or in our own lab on the day of your pets appointment. If recent blood work is available from another veterinary hospital we will not need to repeat it. With middle age and older pets we strongly suggest chest radiographs to look for signs of pulmonary disease, cardiac disease, masses or growths.

Dental radiographs are crucial in determining the best course of action as the majority of dental problems are found below the gum line. We take digital radiographs to determine the presence of tooth root abscesses, root resorption, bone degenerations, root fragments, fractures extending from the tooth crown and many other causes for concern.

Injectable medication, such as antibiotics and pain control, may also be administered during a procedure and additional medications may be sent home with your pet. Our goal is to keep your pet healthy and pain free and our medication recommendations will be based on each pets particular issue, we will use whichever drugs best meet their needs.

The bottom line is, it is not what you pay, but what kind of service your pet receives that really counts. Dentistry in animals follows the same philosophy as in human beings; it is much easier and cheaper to maintain a healthy mouth than to try to fix an infected, diseased one. To achieve that goal, daily brushing associated with regular veterinary check-ups is what works best.

For actual costs of procedures, we will do our best to provide you with an accurate estimate at the time of your consultation.