Dental disease is a significant problem that can affect dogs and cats. Over 85% of dogs over 3 years old, especially small breeds, can have periodontal disease.
At Kingston Vets we are passionate about maintaining a high standard for your pet's oral health. During your routine healthcare appointment your vet may advise a dental procedure. The vet may recommend a pre- anaesthetic blood test, and this would be booked approximately 1-2 weeks before the dental procedure. The vet may also recommend pain relief. It is imperative to realise that animals will continue to eat, even if experiencing discomfort, so please ensure you continue the prescribed medication until the dental appointment.
The procedure takes place at our dedicated Beverley Road branch in one of our two dental suites. We follow a process called dental staging. The leaflet below provides further information, however if you have questions please contact us.
DENTAL STAGING
STAGE 1 - This takes place under General Anaesthetic. It includes a visual exam of the mouth, teeth and gums, full mouth dental x-rays; gingival and periodontal assessment of each tooth and professional ultrasonic scaling/cleaning. All the information is recorded on a dental chart.
If dental disease is diagnosed during the stage 1 procedure the vet will discharge your pet. At this point we will go through the X-rays and dental chart and provide you with an itemised estimate of the work that is required to be done. Pain relief where appropriate will be started and we endeavour to book a stage 2 procedure at this discharge appointment.
If no abnormalities are found, then the registered veterinary nurse will discharge your pet and discuss with you steps to take to start on dental hygiene and cleaning programme.
The stage 1 dentals will take place after any stage 2 procedures so please don’t be concerned if we call you later in the afternoon to organise a home appointment.
STAGE 2 - The procedure takes place under general anaesthetic. Local anaesthetic nerve blocks are also used to ensure a multimodal approach to pain relief. We will use multiparameter anaesthetic monitoring, fluid therapy and active warming during the surgical procedure. Extractions will take place as previously discussed with you. Most extractions are surgical and involve surgically cutting the gum and sectioning the teeth to be removed. The post extraction sites are then re-x-rayed to ensure no root remnants are present. The gum is then sutured closed with dissolvable sutures. Once all the extractions have taken place, we will then repeat the dental cleaning and in some cases apply a dental sealant to assist in the homecare process. Once your pet is in recovery we will call to organise a home appointment. When you come to collect your pet we will go through the post operative information, ensure you have the medications required and book your first post op appointment. These appointments are important to ensure your pets gums are healing well.
AFTERCARE - As soon as your pet starts eating, plaque will stick to the surface of the teeth. Our qualified nurses are keen to help you with a homecare plan to remove this and improve and maintain the oral health of your pet. Toothbrushing is the recommended way to reduce this build up and we can offer advice on the best techniques to do this. Please don’t start brushing until the nurse or vet has given you the go ahead after treatment. If you are unable to brush other options can help reduce the plaque buildup and we are happy to discuss them with you.
We would expect to repeat the stage 1 process at a 12–24 month interval, dependent on the patient, though this can vary for different reasons. This will allow your pet's mouth to stay as healthy as possible. We will continue to monitor oral health as part of routine appointments.