Dental Treatments at Wascana Animal Hospital
- posted: Feb. 06, 2019
It's February and we are celebrating Dental Health month at Wascana Animal Hospital! The term "dental" is something you may have heard of before but what does it really mean when our veterinarians recommend one for your pet? Who does what during a dental procedure? What are some of the things that make having a dental treatment performed at our hospital unique?
A "dental" is a term used for a treatment procedure where your pet is anesthetized to allow for proper and thorough full examination of the oral cavity and teeth. It also entails cleaning the teeth AND under the gum tissue to remove plaque and tartar . One of our registered veterinary technicians will ultrasonically scale and polish your pet's teeth as well as take the dental x-rays. Then one of our veterinarians will examine the mouth to assess the grade of periodontal disease present. This includes probing around each tooth looking for abnormal gingival pockets, loose or fractured teeth, abscesses or abnormal masses/tumors. The veterinarian also evaluates the dental x-rays and will perform any surgery extractions needed including suturing closed afterwards. Once the dental procedure is finished, the dedicated anesthesia vet tech stays with each patient until they are fully recovered from the anesthetic. Later in the day, the patient will be discharged with any pain medications or antibiotics that are needed as well as written home care instructions from the veterinarian. The discharge is performed by one of our veterinary technicians in person to make sure all instructions are clear, to demonstrate how to give any needed medications and to answer any questions the pet owner may have.
At Wascana Animal Hospital, only the veterinarians perform surgery including any dental extractions. We also have a vet tech that is specifically dedicated to monitoring the anesthesia for each patient throughout surgeries and dentals. This technician focuses solely on the patient's anesthesia while another vet tech or veterinarian is working in the mouth. All of our patients receiving general anesthetic are on intravenous fluids, are kept warm by wrapping in a heated air blanket, and are monitored by cutting edge anesthetic equipment. We take digital dental x-rays of each patient's mouth to make sure that we aren't missing any disease that is happening below the gum line. Any patients who have dental extractions performed are prescribed pain medication to make sure they are comfortable and eating well at home after the dental treatment. All of these things are part of our hospital's standard of care to minimize anesthetic risks for our patients and are what make having a dental treatment at Wascana Animal Hospital unique.
Our veterinary team emphasizes the importance of dental care for your pet year round, however during February we have some special promotions on to celebrate Dental Health Month! Call us to find out more about scheduling your pet family member for a dental treatment with us!
- posted: Feb. 06, 2019
It's February and we are celebrating Dental Health month at Wascana Animal Hospital! The term "dental" is something you may have heard of before but what does it really mean when our veterinarians recommend one for your pet? Who does what during a dental procedure? What are some of the things that make having a dental treatment performed at our hospital unique?
A "dental" is a term used for a treatment procedure where your pet is anesthetized to allow for proper and thorough full examination of the oral cavity and teeth. It also entails cleaning the teeth AND under the gum tissue to remove plaque and tartar . One of our registered veterinary technicians will ultrasonically scale and polish your pet's teeth as well as take the dental x-rays. Then one of our veterinarians will examine the mouth to assess the grade of periodontal disease present. This includes probing around each tooth looking for abnormal gingival pockets, loose or fractured teeth, abscesses or abnormal masses/tumors. The veterinarian also evaluates the dental x-rays and will perform any surgery extractions needed including suturing closed afterwards. Once the dental procedure is finished, the dedicated anesthesia vet tech stays with each patient until they are fully recovered from the anesthetic. Later in the day, the patient will be discharged with any pain medications or antibiotics that are needed as well as written home care instructions from the veterinarian. The discharge is performed by one of our veterinary technicians in person to make sure all instructions are clear, to demonstrate how to give any needed medications and to answer any questions the pet owner may have.
At Wascana Animal Hospital, only the veterinarians perform surgery including any dental extractions. We also have a vet tech that is specifically dedicated to monitoring the anesthesia for each patient throughout surgeries and dentals. This technician focuses solely on the patient's anesthesia while another vet tech or veterinarian is working in the mouth. All of our patients receiving general anesthetic are on intravenous fluids, are kept warm by wrapping in a heated air blanket, and are monitored by cutting edge anesthetic equipment. We take digital dental x-rays of each patient's mouth to make sure that we aren't missing any disease that is happening below the gum line. Any patients who have dental extractions performed are prescribed pain medication to make sure they are comfortable and eating well at home after the dental treatment. All of these things are part of our hospital's standard of care to minimize anesthetic risks for our patients and are what make having a dental treatment at Wascana Animal Hospital unique.
Our veterinary team emphasizes the importance of dental care for your pet year round, however during February we have some special promotions on to celebrate Dental Health Month! Call us to find out more about scheduling your pet family member for a dental treatment with us!
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3259 Eastgate Drive
Regina, Saskatchewan S4Z1A4