Dentistry

What is the best local anesthetic for intraoral regional analgesia?

Brea, Calif. -- Pet owners spend far more on fixing dental conditions than on preventive dental care, according new data from Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI).

Little Rock, Ark. - Legislation introduced in Arkansas would exclude animal husbandry from the veterinary practice act.

When teeth don't line up correctly, pain and further dental problems are likely.

According to this data, they do.

I have noticed that in my patients that have undergone dental prophylaxis, a yellowish calculus tends to build up along the tooth surfaces-usually within six months of the cleaning.

Regular brushing is key to a pet's overall dental health, so use this handout to help educate your clients about home care.

Promote dental health by showing your clients how to keep their pets' teeth clean.

In which cases is this procedure most successful?

Here are the tips and tricks you need to keep your patients' teeth shining brightly.

I use the tops of syringe containers to hold dental polish.

Keep in mind that eruption is controlled by genetic, environmental, infectious and traumatic factors.

"Functional" abnormalities that don't require treatment.

What are uncomplicated crown-root fractures, and how are they treated?

Can you pinpoint the problem?

Can you identify these common anomalies?

What is the best initial treatment for this condition?

Veterinary dentist Dr. Daniel Carmichael weighs in on whether tooth extraction is viable for treating an aggressive dog.

Make sure you collect-and record-all the important information during this exam, so the veterinarian can make the correct diagnosis and provide the best therapy.

Continuing chronicles illuminating repair techniques used in this particularly challenging case.

When veterinarians think about tooth resorption, the image is generally of a feline patient.

Austin, Texas - The debate over who can perform equine teeth-floating procedures surfaced again in Texas.

Why you should always obtain full-mouth radiographs.

Oral disease is one of the most prevalent diseases in dogs and cats. 80% of adult dogs and 70% of adult cats have some form of oral disease. Dental problems are among the top three pet owners concerns in dogs and cats. Calculus and gingivitis are the most common conditions diagnosed by veterinarians in all ages of animals.

Pain management is more than the latest popular terminology. It is an important part of veterinary dentistry. Many of the procedures performed on animals are painful and it is our duty as technicians to ensure that our patients are as comfortable as possible. The deliver of local nerve blocks prior to performing many dental procedures or oral surgery is a great way to create preemptive analgesia. This can often be incorporated into a multimodal plan for pain control.

Dental radiographs are in essential part of the oral exam. The crown is just the tip of the iceberg. Approximately 42% of dental pathology is found subgingivally. Radiographs will help diagnose pathology that is not visible from the surface, confirm suspect pathology as well as help demonstrate the pathology to the client. Survey radiographs can also increase your clinic's revenue.

It is important to be able to identify oral pathology and anomalies. It is equally important to correctly record the pathology on dental charts. A thorough dental examination includes both conscious and anesthetized examinations as well as charting disease processes, pathology and anomalies, and treatment plans.

Performing a complete dental prophylaxis entails much more than removing plaque and calculus from the teeth. A thorough dental prophylaxis consists of educating the client, an oral examination, charting disease process, pathology and anomalies, radiographs, both supra and sub-gingival plaque and calculus removal, hand scaling, polishing, irrigation and home care instructions.

The indices most commonly evaluated are gingivitis, probe depth, gingival recession, furcation involvement, mobility and periodontal attachment. These indices are the factors along with radiographs that are involved in grading periodontal disease.

Disease of the oral cavity is a common problem, particularly in middle-aged to older cats. Some disorders (e.g. lymphoplasmacytic gingivitis/stomatitis) may begin very early in life in some purebred cats.