Time for a dental cleaning!
We recently noticed that Dr. McDermott's dog, Ora, was starting to get bad breath, and some tartar was building up on her teeth. We decided that this would be a great opportunity to give her a cleaning and document her day. That way, we could show you exactly what we do for our patients when they come in for a dental procedure.
Ora has been given a light sedative and pain medication and is ready to go under anesthesia. Dr. McDermott gives injectable anesthesia, then intubates Ora and places her on anesthetic gas. Monitoring equipment is placed so we can keep track of her heart rate and rythm (ECG), her temperature, how well she is oxygenating her blood (SpO2), the amount of CO2 she is breathing out (capnography), and her blood pressure.
Ora is under anesthesia and we are ready to start her dental cleaning. She has mild calculus, gingivitis, and dental staining.
We start by cleaning each individual tooth with an ultrasonic scaler to remove the tarter and calculus.
Once the scaling is complete, Dr. McDermott uses a dental probe to evaluate each tooth and identify any gingival pockets or other underlying problems. All lesions, pocket depths, etc. are recorded as part of Ora's medical record.
Digital dental radiographs (X-rays) are taken in order to evaluate the roots of each tooth and ensure there are no problems below the gumline that cannot be otherwise seen.
Once the scaling and evaluation is complete, all teeth are polished using a fluoride containing paste that smooths the surface of each tooth.
Ora's teeth are clean and polished, and her breath already smells better!
