Your pet’s dental health is a priority at Southern Crossing Animal Hospital. Research has shown that by keeping your pet’s teeth and gums healthy you can add to their overall lifespan by preventing the spread of infection. Signs of oral disease can include bad breath and a hesitation to chew food or play with toys. Most patients are asymptomatic for oral disease, thus making routine dental cleaning and x-rays invaluable for disease detection.
If your pet has bad breath, discolored teeth, or red, inflamed gums, please call for an appointment so our doctors can make the appropriate recommendation for your pet’s oral health. If dental cleaning is recommended, our doctors and staff will explain the process in detail. Our dental protocols include the latest techniques in veterinary dental care. We will also provide you with home care recommendations after the cleaning so you can keep your pet’s “pearly whites” in good condition. Our desire is to enhance your pet’s quality of life by providing a healthy mouth.
We also understand that dogs and cats can be unique in their dental diseases. Dogs have fractured teeth, abscessed teeth or worn teeth due to excessive chewing.
Cats on the other hand have a unique disease called “Odontoclastic Resorptive lesions” which can erode to the nerve and causes significant pain. It is important to identify and treat these issues rapidly so your pet is pain free.
At Southern Crossing our Dental Cleaning Includes:
- Pre-anesthetic blood work to ensure safe anesthesia
- Intraveous Catheter and Fluids/ Pain Medication/Anti-nausea medication
- General Anesthesia tailored for your pet and intubation (this is the safest way to perform a proper dental cleaning)
- Anesthestic monitoring of heart rate, heart rhythm, respiratory rate, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse oximetry and end tidal CO2
- Ultrasonic scaling of teeth (removal of tarter from teeth and under the gums)
- Periodontal Probing of all teeth
- Digital Dental Xrays of all teeth
- Polishing of teeth
- Sealant Application
Additional services we offer include:
- Surgical tooth extraction
- Periodontal treatments for gum disease
- Abscessed tooth/fractured tooth treatment
- Stomatitis treatment in cats
- Oral surgery
- Soft tissue mass/tumor removal
- Gingival hyperplasia treatment
- Tooth resorption (loss of tooth structure from within or without)
- Mouth pain
Reasons Why Dogs Need Tooth Extractions:
- Gum Disease
- Broken Teeth
- Unerupted Teeth
- Tooth Decay
What Do Tooth Extractions Involve?
Procedures can vary depending on the tooth and the disease process. Prior to any extraction, we provide a nerve block that lasts six to eight hours to help minimize oral pain and discomfort.
With surgical extractions, we normally make incisions in the adjacent gum tissue to create a flap and reveal access to the tooth. We often need to remove the bone that covers each root, section the tooth into individual roots, and extract each root separately. The alveolus (socket) is flushed to remove any debris, and the extraction site is closed with absorbable sutures.
Will My Pet Be in Pain?
Both local and general anesthesia will be used to minimize and control discomfort. The same narcotic medications used in people are used for dogs. Anti-inflammatory medication is also administered to decrease swelling and inflammation after surgery as long as your dog is a candidate to receive these medications.
How Will My Pet Eat After Surgery?
As a result of excellent pain relief medications, most dogs recover with minimal discomfort and return to their daily routines rapidly. Most pets will eat the day of surgery or very soon thereafter. Feeding them soft food is usually recommended until healing is complete. A check-up will be required to ensure your pet’s healing is progressing as it should. Call us (901) 452-3171 for more information and options.
Want to learn more about the oral health products we recommend? Visit the Veterinary Oral Health Council for information on accepted products.
Accepted Products for Dogs and Cats
Additional information may be found on our Home page under Dentistry
Call Or Visit Us Today!
Phone
(901) 452-3171Hours
Monday - Friday 7:30AM-6:00PM
1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month
7:30AM-1:00PM
