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The Importance of Veterinary Dental Radiology

Dental radiology is the core diagnostic modality for veterinary dental care. Trying to diagnose and treat dental disease without radiographs is like trying to treat ear disease without an otoscope, or diabetes mellitus without blood glucose measurements. If a practice is not currently taking dental radiographs, they are sending many, if not most, of their…

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Fractured Pet Teeth

Fractured teeth are common in dogs and cats and usually caused by either trauma to the head or from pets chewing on inappropriately hard objects such as bones. Often fractured teeth go unnoticed by the owners unless they directly observe the injury when it takes place. Veterinarians and technicians often identify fractured teeth incidentally while performing…

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Antimicrobial Therapy for Veterinary Dental and Oral Surgical Procedures

The use of antimicrobial drug (AMD) therapy by veterinarians after oral/dental procedures is very common practice. In most cases this use is not necessary. A major concern is the emergence, spread and high prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. This is believed to be associated with the frequent use of AMDs(1). The use of AMDs provides…

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My Pet Is Old Or Has An Underlying Medical Condition and I Am Afraid Of Anesthesia

At Animal Dentistry & Oral Surgery we are pet lovers, so we understand your concern. We always indicate that there are risks associated with anesthesia, which is why it is important to evaluate a pet fully prior to anesthesia to determine if an anesthetic procedure will be safe for them and that the risk are warranted to…

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My Pet’s Veterinarian Says That They Have Bad/Diseased Teeth, What Should I Do?

If your veterinarian says your dog or cat’s teeth are bad or diseased, it often means that your pet has significant periodontal disease and an evaluation under anesthesia including intra-oral radiographs would be recommended to evaluate the teeth further. This is a circumstance in which you should ask your veterinarian to refer you to a board…

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What If My Dog Or Cat Has Bad Breath?

Bad “Dog Breath” or “Kitty Breath” is a sign of infection and periodontal disease in your pet’s mouth. Typically the worse the breath smells the worse the disease. This is a sign you should bring your pet in for a complete oral health exam and dental cleaning. Once your pet’s teeth have been cleaned and any diseased teeth have been…

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Some of my Pet’s puppy/kitten teeth never fell out? What if my pet’s adult teeth are coming in and the puppy/kitten teeth are still there?

If your pet is about six to eight months old, most of their puppy or kitten (deciduous) teeth should have fallen out. If you are seeing adult teeth come in and the deciduous teeth are still present they may not fall out on their own. This is concern because the puppy’s or kitten’s deciduous teeth may prevent the adult…

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What if my dog or cat has a broken tooth?

If you can see that your pet’s tooth is actively bleeding, this means that the pulp has been exposed. The pulp is where the blood supply and nerves are located, making is a painful condition, but depending on the individual pet they may or may not show signs of being bothered by this. If you notice a distinct black…