Dentistry is a rapidly growing area of veterinary science. More and more we are understanding the significant effect dental health can have on the overall health of the animals we treat.
Just like humans, pets’ teeth need looking after too! The health of their teeth and gums has a significant impact on their overall quality of life. Imagine how your mouth would feel, and smell, if you never brushed your teeth. Imagine having a really bad toothache and not being able to tell anyone about it!
Dental disease typically begins with a build-up of plaque, consisting of bacteria, food particles and saliva components, on the teeth. Plaque sticks to the tooth surface above and below the gum line and if not removed will calcify into tartar (also known as calculus). This appears as a yellow-brown material on the teeth. Over time the plaque and tartar can result in periodontal disease, which results can result in irreversible changes to the teeth and supportive structures.
Periodontal disease can result in local problems, such as red and inflamed gums, bad breath, and the loss of teeth. There is also growing evidence that periodontal disease can be associated with disease in distant organs, including the heart, liver and kidneys. Ultimately, dental disease is more than just a cosmetic issue – it can be a cause of significant illness and pain in dogs and cats.
If your pet is showing any of these signs of dental disease please book an appointment to see one of our veterinarians. Early assessment and action can save your pet’s teeth!
Some animals with dental disease may show no obvious signs particularly in the early stages. It is also important to remember that just because your pet is eating, it doesn’t mean they do not have dental pain.
As with most things in life, when it comes to dental disease, prevention is definitely better than cure. Regular and frequent attention to your pet's teeth may avoid the need for a professional dental clean under anaesthetic, and will also improve your pet's overall health. Long-term control and prevention of dental disease requires regular dental homecare. The best way to begin this is to accustom your pet from an early age. Dental home care may include:
Just like us! This is the best form of dental hygiene. Pet toothbrushes and toothpaste are now available. Please do not use human toothpaste formulas as they are not designed to be swallowed and may be toxic to your pet.
Use of special dental chews, dental toys, or dental diets, all of which may help keep the teeth clean.
It is similar to a scale and polish done by a dentist for us, however, unlike us, our pets won’t sit still or open their mouth to allow a comprehensive examination or cleaning of their teeth. For this reason our pets need to have a general anaesthetic for a professional dental clean. Your pet will need to be assessed by one of our veterinarians. The degree of dental disease will be assessed to determine what type of treatment is required.
The assessment will also include a physical exam, and possibly blood tests and urine tests to ensure they are healthy prior to having an anaesthetic. Once anaesthetised, we can give the teeth a thorough cleaning using our specialised dental equipment. When your pet goes home we will also discuss methods of reducing dental disease in the future.
Approximately 60% of the tooth is under the gum. When we provide an estimate of costs in a consult room situation, we do so based on what we can see, which is only the outside part of the of the tooth that is above the gumline. This makes estimates for dentals inherently inaccurate until we have been able to examine and X-ray your pet’s teeth under anaesthetic. In order to improve the accuracy of dental estimates and in order to provide a safer anaesthetic for your pet, your pet’s dental may be staged.
Stage 1
Your pet is admitted for an anaesthetic, full mouth examination and dental X-rays if required. The cost of this procedure is between $375 and $595 depending on the size of your pet and the severity of dental disease. If no work is required, then there is no need for Stage 2.
Stage 2
You will be given an accurate estimate of the cost of your pet’s Stage 2 dental procedure prior to admission. This stage involves an anaesthetic to perform any treatment or extractions that your pet requires. So that you are not out of pocket by paying for two anaesthetics the money that you paid for Stage 1 will be subtracted from the cost of Stage 2.
Stage 1 Your pet is admitted for an anaesthetic, full mouth examination and dental X-rays if required. The cost of this procedure is $350. If no work is required, then there is no need for Stage 2. Stage 2 You will be given an accurate estimate of the cost of your pet’s Stage 2 dental procedure prior to admission. This stage involves an anaesthetic to perform any treatment or extractions that your pet requires. So that you are not out of pocket by paying for two anaesthetics the money that you paid for Stage 1 will be subtracted from the cost of Stage 2. What happens if my pet is in-between? If your pet has generally good teeth but just one or two are rotten and require extraction you may be given the option to split the procedure into two stages as above or rather to have a couple of minor extractions performed at the time of the Stage 1 dental. The latter has a capped price of $750 Benefits of Staged dentals • You know what you are going to pay before you bring your pet in. • Two shorter anaesthetics are safer than one long one. • You pay the same whether your pet has one or two visits. • We know how long the procedure will take so can allow adequate time. Is there a Stage 3 Answer: Yes! Pets with advanced dental disease that require most or even all of their teeth to be extracted may need to have half of the extractions performed on one day and the other half performed on another day. This is necessary to avoid putting them through “too much on one day” and to avoid an extremely long anaesthetic.
If your pet has generally good teeth but just one or two are rotten and require extraction you may be given the option to split the procedure into two stages as above or rather to have a couple of minor extractions performed at the time of the Stage 1 dental.
Answer: Yes! Pets with advanced dental disease that require most or even all of their teeth to be extracted may need to have half of the extractions performed on one day and the other half performed on another day. This is necessary to avoid putting them through “too much on one day” and to avoid an extremely long anaesthetic.
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