Finns Day at the Dentist

Day Admission:

Our Veterinary Nurses will go over all the details of the surgery with you, answer any questions about the surgery and go over an anesthetic consent form with you prior to the procedure.

Pre-Anesthetic Exam:

Finn was in last week to have pre-anesthetic blood work completed to evaluate his kidneys, liver, and other organs to ensure they are functioning properly prior to undergoing an anesthetic. Before the dental started Dr. Cass completed a full head to toe exam to ensure he is in proper health to undergo the procedure.

Sedation and Anesthetic:

We like to use a multimodal approach to our anesthetic protocols, which means using smaller amounts of different types of medications to achieve balanced anesthesia.

• Pre Medication: Moderate Sedation prior to anesthesia
• Induction and Intubation: Using an injectable anesthetic to start anesthesia and intubate the patient to secure an airway for proper ventilation and to prevent aspiration of any fluids in the mouth from the dental
• Anesthetic: We use an inhalant anesthetic gas to maintain the patient in a plan of anesthesia throughout surgery
• Monitoring: Our Veterinary Nurses will monitor your pet’s vitals during and after the procedure. This is done using blood pressure monitors, warming blankets, and a physical check of vital parameters including temperature, heart & pulse rates, oxygenation and more. These readings are all charted and recorded in your pet’s file.

IV Fluids:

Finn had an intravenous catheter put into his front leg. This is where he will receive various medications as well as be hooked up to intravenous fluids for the day. This will help to maintain his hydration, administer medication, and help to control his blood pressure during the procedure.

Dental Exam:

Dr. Cass performed a thorough exam of every tooth and the oral cavity including probing the gum line looking for infection and checking for broken or loose teeth or abnormal growths in the mouth. We chart these findings for reference in the future.

Dental Radiographs:

Finn received full mouth dental radiographs at the start of his dental. This allows the Veterinarian to visualize the health of the tooth under the gum line. It is common that a pet’s teeth can look clean and healthy to the eye but under the gum line hidden disease can be present.

Dental Extractions: Based on the radiographs and oral exam, Finn required 2 extractions. This is done by using a drill and special tools called elevators. The extraction sites are then closed with sutures to ensure fast healing and no debris gets in.

Dental Scaling and Polishing: On all remaining teeth, Ashley has removed plaque and tartar from above and below the gum line using an ultrasonic scaler and hand scalers, just like at a human dentist! The teeth will have a finishing gentle polish to remove any remaining microscopic plaque or tartar. 

Recovery: Finn had a very comfortable recovery and was monitored very closely during the recovery period. During this time we continue to monitor the patient’s vitals until they are mobile and fully alert. We also ensure they are warm and comfortable when they are waking up. Once they are awake enough, we will give them a little snack.

Detailed Dental Discharge: At the end of the day when you are picking your pet up our Nurses will go over a thorough discharge with you regarding the findings during the procedure as well as a home care plan to ensure optimal dental health for your pet. They will provide the x-ray images, discuss the findings in detail of the teeth, and can demonstrate proper dental home care such as brushing your pet’s teeth.