Teeth are meant to last a lifetime… If you take care of them. Dental disease is NOT just bad breath. It damages the heart & kidneys and causes infections in bones, joints, lungs & bladder. At SunShine Animal Hospital, we are one of the few animal hospitals that provide dental X-rays. A standard of care once only available to people is now available for your pet.
A dental cleaning starts with a physical exam to assess your pet's health. Next, a blood sample may be taken to perform pre-anesthetic blood tests. A sedative is usually given to relax the pet & allow an IV catheter to be placed. A starting dose of pain medication is also given to reduce discomfort after the cleaning. The doctor will then administer a short-acting IV anesthetic to allow a tracheal tube to be placed in your pet's windpipe to protect it against aspiration & to administer gas anesthesia. A trained vet assistant will use an ultrasonic scaler to remove the tartar from all surfaces of the teeth, as well as below the sensitive gums. Once this is done, the doctor will then use a dental probe and dental X-rays to determine if there are any abnormalities present. Once all the problem areas have been detected, a staff member may contact you if additional dental work is needed or if your pet will be recovered from anesthesia.