Veterinary Dentistry
A healthy mouth is fundamental to your pet's overall health and comfort. When a prophylactic dental scale/polish isn't enough to manage injury or periodontal disease, surgical intervention relieves discomfort and guards against further complications.
Peninsula Veterinary Hospital offers complimentary oral health evaluations and handles most oral surgeries at our hospital. We collaborate with specialized veterinary dentists whenever advanced care is indicated (vital pulpotomy or root canal therapy to save a critical tooth, oral tumor diagnosis and treatment, or jaw fracture repair).
Full-mouth dental X-rays:
Dental X-rays are one of our most valuable tools for catching hidden oral health issues. Because a large portion of dental disease develops below the gumline, hidden problems can't often be seen during a standard visual exam.
X-rays are completely safe and painless, giving us a clear view of your pet’s tooth roots, jawbone, and any underlying infection or damage. If we discover anything that requires advanced care, we will walk you through the recommended treatment options and coordinate with a veterinary dental specialist if needed.
What is a Complete Oral Health Assessment and Treatment (COHAT)?
A COHAT is a complete, multi-step veterinary dental procedure under general anesthesia. It is a much more thorough and complex medical procedure than a simple cosmetic teeth cleaning! General anesthesia is required to keep your pet safe, still, and pain-free, while protecting their airway. The following steps are performed for every COHAT, whether teeth need or be extracted or not:
Dental probing, charting and scaling/polishing:
Every single tooth, the tongue, gums, and entire oral cavity is carefully inspected. A periosteal probe measures the depth of the spaces (sulci or pockets) between the teeth and gums. Teeth are inspected for cavities, tooth resorption, and fractures.
Plaque and hardened tartar (calculus) are removed from above and below the gumline using hand scalers, curettes, and and ultrasonic scaler. The teeth surfaces are then smoothed with a polisher.
Oral Surgery:
Once the full-mouth dental X-rays and comprehensive oral exam are complete, our team will call you to discuss whether oral surgery (teeth extraction) is needed and why.
If a tooth is found with advanced periodontal disease or crown fractures that expose the pulp canal, oral surgery to extract the tooth is advised. This is performed by one of our veterinarians. If the affected tooth is one of the Eight Critical Teeth (canines, maxillary fourth premolars, and mandibular first molars), a referral to a board certified veterinary dentist will be offered to help save the tooth.
When it’s time to take your pet home, a trained team member will walk you through every step of their dental procedure. We’ll review their dental exam findings, go over their dental X-rays, and explain any additional treatments completed that day. We will also discuss all home care instructions and set up any needed follow-up visits.