Dentistry
The VHC Dental Service, an integrated component of the tertiary care Veterinary Health Complex, is supported by leading clinical specialists and state-of-the-art veterinary technology including advanced anesthetic monitoring, cardiology support, surgical consultation, advanced imaging, and 24-hour critical care monitoring. An early examination is important to properly diagnose the condition and causes of oral and dental disease in pets. Gum disease, for one example, works the same in cats and dogs as it does in people. Gum disease is an infection resulting from build-up of soft dental plaque on the surfaces of the teeth around the gums. The bacteria in dental plaque irritate the gum tissue if plaque is allowed to accumulate, which often leads to infection in the bone surrounding the teeth. Other oral health issues may involve missing, broken or malformed teeth, lesions, jaw alignment, bite problems. If a significant disease or problem is detected, the dental veterinary specialist at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital will examine the pet, discuss the best treatment options and—in conjunction with the pet’s primary veterinarian—will eliminate the pet’s discomfort and improve their quality of life.
Did you know?
- Oral disease is the number one health problem among dogs and cats?
- Dogs begin life with 28 deciduous or baby teeth and cats with 26 deciduous teeth and within six months these baby teeth fall out and are replaced by permanent teeth—42 in the dog and 30 in the cat?
- The American Veterinary Society reports that 80 percent of dogs and cats show signs of oral disease by age three?
- Smaller dogs can be prone to periodontal disease because the teeth may become crowded in the smaller mouth?
- Broken teeth caused by aggressive chewing on hard objects is a common problem for dogs—particularly outdoor dogs?
- The most common tooth disease in cats is odontal clastic resorptive lesions?
Signs of possible oral and dental diseases in dogs and cats
- Bad breath
- Lost or loose teeth or teeth that are discolored or covered in tartar
- Your pet shies away from you when touch the mouth area
- Abnormal drooling, dropping food from the mouth, or swallowing food whole
- Other changes in eating or chewing habits
- Pawing at the face or mouth
- Bleeding from the mouth
- Loss of appetite or loss of weight
Available Services
Periodontal Disease
Scaling and polishing to bone augmentation, periodontal flaps
Endodontic Disease
Standard and advanced endodontic therapy
Oral Surgery
Treating traumatic lesions, congenital lesions, and neoplasia
Exodontia
Simple and complex extracti0ons to treat diseased teeth
Orthodontics
Treating painful and traumatic malocclusions
Restoratives
Crowns for damaged teeth, restore carious lesions or enamel defects
Oral radiography
Supporting diagnostic and therapeutic plans
Emergencies
Treating jaw fractures, avulsed teeth, fractured teeth, oral lacerations, management of chronic and unusual oral diseases