Veterinary Dentistry

At Animal Hospital of Fairfield, we are proud to provide high quality dental healthcare for your pet. We are dedicated to providing high-quality dental healthcare for your pet, using state-of-the-art equipment. Working together with you, the owner, will help your veterinarian determine what course of treatment will be the most beneficial and comfortable for your pet. The more common services we provide are:

• tooth cleaning
• periodontal disease treatment
• root canal treatment
• restoratives
• orthodontics
• tumor surgery
• feline dentistry

Tooth Cleaning

While much can be done at home to help prevent dental disease, your pet may need eventually a dental cleaning, otherwise known as a "dental prophylaxis" or "prophy". Dental cleaning helps remove excess tartar buildup as well as give your veterinarian a chance to fully evaluate your pet's oral health and ascertain if there are other possible dental problems, such as periodontal disease.

A proper dental cleaning is done under anesthesia. Pre-anesthetic tests for blood work or kidney and liver function may be performed, particularly for elderly pets who have a greater risk with anesthesia. Once your pet is anesthetized, the procedure usually entails the following:

• Supragingival cleaning - the removal of plaque and tartar above the gum line
• Subgingival cleaning - the removal of plaque and tartar below the gum line
• Polishing - smoothes the surface of the tooth to remove any roughness left from scaling, as well as removes any plaque missed during the previous steps.
• Irrigation - the flushing of tooth pockets to remove dental debris from gum pockets
• Fluoride treatment - fluoride foam is applied to the teeth and allowed to harden. Fluoride helps harden the dentin, slow the growth of plaque, and decrease tooth sensitivity.
• Evaluation - teeth and oral cavity are examined with the use of a periodontal probe to determine the presence of possible periodontal disease. X-rays may be taken to help ascertain the degree of disease present.
• Charting - all findings and treatments given are recorded in the patient's medical history.

Depending on patient size, age, and the amount of dental disease present, the procedure usually takes anywhere between 45-90 minutes, or 60 to 120 minutes for elderly pets. It should be noted that dental prophylaxis is not a one-time fix-all solution and your pet may need to eventually return for another cleaning. The frequency of exams depends on the degree of disease as well as the owner's abilities to provide home dental care - severe cases of periodontal disease may required monthly checks, while pets with less severe forms of disease can be seen every 6 months.

Periodontal Disease

Periodontal diseases, such as gingivitis, are the most common disease suffered by cats and dogs, research showing this problem in over 70% of cats and dogs over 3 years of age. Unfortunately, it is suggested that less than 10% periodontal cases are recognized and get treated, so keeping an eye on your pet's tooth and gum conditions are important. Common symptoms of periodontal disease include:

• bad breath
• red gums (particularly around the edges)
• excessive salivation
• oral pain
• lack of appetite or difficulty eating
• facial swelling

Periodontal treatment can be quite painful for your pet, and if left untreated can lead to absesses and loss of teeth and bone. Bacteria from periodontal disease can also potentially enter the bloodstream and cause infection of the heart valves as well as your pet's liver and kidneys. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent or slow periodontal disease, with the proper treatment, and there is also a new vaccine available from Pfizer. Ask your veterinarian for more information.

Root Canals and Fractured Teeth

A fractured tooth with pulp exposure, when left untreated, can often lead to a bigger, more painful problem - a root canal. It is imperative that the fracture be taken care of as soon as possible to lessen the chances of a tooth extraction. Using other methods, including cement and gutta percha filling techniques, our veterinarians will be able to not only fill the fracture, but will also be able to maintain the form and function of the tooth.

Restoratives - Caries and Crowns

While relatively uncommon, tooth decay (caries) may occasionally be seen in dogs . Cats generally do not get caries, but are prone to feline oral resorptive lesions. Usually, caries lesions begin at or below the gum line. Symptoms include pain and red, inflamed gums around the affected tooth, as well as bad breath. Caries require immediate attention - if left untreated, they can lead to cavities. The cavity treatment for dogs is similar to the cavity treatment for humans, where your vet will use a drill and filling material to restore the tooth. In the event of a fractured or diseased tooth, your veterinarian may elect to use crown therapy, though crowns are not nearly as common in dogs and cats as they are in people. The primary reason for installing a crown in your pet is not aesthetics, but protection for the remaining tooth.

Orthodontics

Just like people, pets can occasionally have a malocclusion (misaligned teeth), causing an uncomfortable, dysfunctional, and possibly painful bite. Sometimes this misalignment may actually make your pet more susceptible to periodontal disease and chronic infection. What is considered to be a "proper" bite varies from breed to breed, depending on their standards, but there are several kinds of malocclusions. Fortunately, most can be corrected. Treatment plans are custom designed to the individual needs of the patient. Where tooth extraction used to be the only option, now there are a variety of techniques available with the use of acrylic appliances, brackets, and elastics.

Tumor Surgery

Growths in the oral cavity are fairly common in dogs and cats. Unfortunately, it's impossible to tell if it's a harmful growth just by looking at it. Early detection and examination are critical to your pet's health, so don't "wait and see what happens". Have the growth tested as soon as possible! There are two kinds of tumors:

benign - these are generally harmless, do not spread, and have a high potential for successful removal malignant - these are invasive, have the potential to spread to other parts of the body, and must be treated aggressively - treatment works best with early detection

For dogs, about 50% of oral tumors are benign, the most common being a growth called an "epulid" or a tumor of the periodontal ligament. Unfortunately, oral tumors in cats are rarely benign, with about a 90% chance of being malignant. Because benign and malignant tumors behave differently, they are not always treated in the same way. Most benign tumors can be removed with relatively non-invasive surgery. Treatment for malignant tumors varies, depending on how early the tumor is detected, the size of the tumor, and on the type of malignancy. In addition to surgery to remove the cancerous tissue, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and cryosurgery (freezing) may be used.