Mount Rose Animal Hospital

Your Pets are our Priority!

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Hospital Construction - 2005

16560 Wedge Parkway

Suite 100

Reno, Nevada 89511

Dentistry

 

             As a part of your pet's annual comprehensive examination, a thorough inspection of your pet's mouth will occur.  The doctors and staff of Mount Rose Animal Hospital advocate proper dental hygiene as a vital element of quality preventative medical care. 

 

How do I know if my pet has a problem?

 

             Have you noticed recently that pet's breath has a more unpleasant odor than in the past?  Does your pet have obvious tartar or gingivitis?  Do your pet's gums bleed easily?  Is your pet uncomfortable when chewing food or on toys?  Do you see extra teeth, loose teeth, or rotten teeth in your pet's mouth?  If you answered yes to any of these questions it may be time for your pet to have its teeth worked on.

 

What is a dental prophylaxis?

 

             The term referring to routine dental cleaning is "dental prophylaxis".  Most pets are due for their first dental "prophy" by the age of 3 to 5 years.  Some pets may require dental care even sooner in their lifetime.  On average, most pets benefit from routine cleanings every 1 to 3 years.  Genetics, diet and at-home pet tartar prevention strategies all impact the frequency of needed cleanings.

 

What are some of the benefits of dental care?

            

             Many clients are not fully aware of all the benefits of pet dentistry.  Of course, keeping your pet's teeth clean is important to preserve the health of the teeth and entire oral cavity.  In addition, moderate to severe tartar on teeth is a source of bacterial organisms.  This chronic infection through a compromised, inflamed gingiva, can enter the bloodstream an adversely affect other organs in the pet's body.  Bacterial hepatitis (liver inflammation) and endocarditis (heart valve infection) and pyelonephritis (kidney infection) are all life-threatening illnesses that pets with periodontal disease are at higher risk for.  In particular, older pets, with poorer immune protective function are at the greatest risk for these potentially fatal illnesses.  Therefore, age alone is not a legitimate reason to forgo teeth cleaning.  Certainly, more safety precautionary measures are recommended for senior pets, (i.e. IV catheter placement / fluid administration and pre-anesthetic bloodwork) however, dental prophylaxis is still vitally important to protecting your pet's overall health.

 

My pet needs a dental now what?

            

             At Mount Rose Animal Hospital, either during an appointment or over the phone, the doctors and staff are more than happy to review with you a dental estimate and set up your pet for a cleaning.  Elective procedures such as dental prophys are performed Monday through Friday.  On the day of the cleaning, a doctor will meet with you in the morning, review with you the procedure and estimate, answer any of your questions and check in your pet for the day.  Pre-anesthetic bloodwork is optional for younger pets (less than 5 years of age) having a dental profy; however we required the workup on older pets.  We recommend pre-anesthetic profiles for all patients as a strategy to screen for hidden underlying problems that could make your pet at greater risk for anesthesia.

 

The Dental Prophylaxis Procedure

 

             Dental prophys at Mount Rose Animal Hospital are generally out-patient procedures.   Animals must not be fed after 8 pm the night before the scheduled procedure, drinking water is okay.  They are dropped off in the morning between 7 to 8 am.  Dental prophys typically begin by 9:30 am.  Pre-anesthetic blood profiles are performed in-house prior to anesthesia if approved by the owner.  All patients first receive pre-anesthetic injectable medications for sedation and analgesia for pain relief.  IV catheters are placed to ensure emergency vein access as well as to provide an avenue for intra-operative fluid administration.  Additional injectable drugs are used to induce anesthesia so that the pet can be intubated and placed on gas anesthesia.  Once under general anesthesia, special equipment is used to monitor the pet's heart rate, oxygenation, blood pressure, temperature and EKG during the procedure and recovery.  Those senior patients with more severe periodontal disease problems may receive a dose of injectable antibiotics at the onset of the procedure.  For the dental prophy itself, the teeth receive a full ultrasonic scaling and polishing.  All teeth are scrutinized for problems.  Dental x-rays can be performed to assess if there are problems with a tooth below the gum line.  Diseased, loose teeth can be extracted if not salvageable.  Furthermore, with the pet under general anesthesia, a thorough oral exam can also be performed checking for other oral problems (i.e. oral ulcers, oral tumors, etc) and can be dealt with as needed.  When the dental prophy is completed it takes several hours for a pet to fully awaken from anesthesia.  Generally, pets are ready to go home by the end of the day.

 

Take Home Care

 

             There are minimal take home instructions for those pets having a routine dental procedure.  Rest and reduced dietary intake on the first night home due to the anesthetic event…but by morning pets can resume their daily routine again.  For those pets with more labor-intensive dental cleaning events (severe gingivitis, extractions, etc.) more extensive after care may be instructed by the veterinarian.  For example, soft diets may be necessary temporarily or antibiotics and/or inflammatories/pain relievers may be sent home with the patient.  Generally speaking, even pets with significant periodontal disease heal quickly and happily after dental work has been performed; and their mouths and general health are considerably better off for having the experience.