Pet Dentistry

PET DENTISTRY

These easily observed things are often only the tip of the iceberg. The problems that you do see are only a fraction of those problems afflicting your pet. Cats and dogs rarely show signs of pain associated with broken teeth, chipped teeth, exposed root canals, cavities, and periodontal disease (inflammation of the gums). We know from our own dental problems that these lesions cause discomfort. Your pet will get used to this disease, a day at a time, and does not demonstrate pain until the condition is advanced. We also know that if these conditions go uncorrected, they may lead to serious illness, including ulcerative stomatitis (open sores in the mouth) and heart disease. A proper teeth cleaning and assessment is the best way to thoroughly screen your pet’s mouth for problems. The initial assessment will take place when your pet is examined by one of our veterinarians.

During this assessment, the vet will grade your pet’s mouth. Grade one for mild dental disease, grade two for moderate disease, and grade three for extensive disease. The next step in assessment is anesthesia, charting of the teeth, cleaning of the teeth, and dental x-rays of the teeth. Kirkwood Animal Hospital has a dental x-ray machine and a digital x-ray processing unit. This equipment is state of the art. Digital processing allows our staff to get impeccably detailed x-rays of your pet’s teeth in a very efficient manner. In most cases, the x-rays are available, for review, on a computer screen within seconds. When we detect a problem, we will call you and discuss the appropriate treatment

What’s new in Dentistry At Kirkwood Animal Hospital?
Cleaning (Prophylaxis) has not changed… just improved.

This is an advanced case of dental disease. However, we frequently see mouths in this condition. This infection in the gums can result in the pet swallowing and being bombarded with huge amounts of bad bacteria. This can lead to heart and kidney disease. Once things advance to this, it can be hard to save all the teeth. But with proper dental hygiene, the mouth can be greatly improved, and the risk of systemic disease virtually eliminated.

Digital Dental Radiology is the new, latest, and greatest addition.

The images below are just a few examples of what we find during routine dental examinations. Utilizing Digital Dental Radiology, we are able to detect abnormalities that would otherwise remain undetected.