Article reprinted with permission of DVM360 –March 30,
2018. DVM360 MAGAZINE is a copyrighted publication of
Advanstar Communications inc. All rights reserved
DENTISTRY
The ABCs of Veterinary Dentistry
‘N’ is for No
By nature of the alphabet, we must get through all of the noes in veterinary
dentistry before we can reach the yeses—but that doesn’t mean you won’t feel
positively inspired to better your dental practices after reading.
By Jan Bellows, DVM, DAVDC, DABVP, FAVD
DVM360 MAGAZINE
As veterinarians, we respond to clinical signs in our patients
and do something about them. But knowing what not to
do is just as important. Here are 14 things to say no to in
veterinary dentistry:
1. Say no to treatment estimates related to oral
malodour (halitosis) before you’ve examined the
entire mouth—including every tooth
3. Say no to dental procedures without an
examination
In some veterinary clinics, the pet owner calls the office to
arrange a drop-off for a teeth cleaning because the pet has
oral malodour. But if your dental assistant only removes the
pet’s plaque and tartar from the crowns without a tooth-
by-tooth examination, you’ve accomplished little besides
the cosmetic removal of crown debris. Oral malodour
Quoting a fee (or even a fee range) for “bad breath” before
you know the cause may lead to a disgruntled client and
an untreated patient once you discover that a dozen
teeth suffer from advanced periodontal disease and need
to be extracted. Instead, let your client know you’ll call
while the pet is anesthetised to discuss what care the pet
needs after dental scaling, probing and full-mouth intraoral
radiographs.
2. Say no to dental procedures without general
anaesthesia
Anaesthesia allows the practitioner and assistants to carry
out dental procedures safely and effectively, minimizing
the risk of injury to the team, equipment and patient. The
American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) launched
a website to deter pet owners and veterinarians from
considering anaesthesia-free dental cleanings in any
context. It advises pet owners that "Anaesthesia-free
dental cleanings provide no benefit to your pet and
do not prevent periodontal disease at any level. In fact,
it gives you a false sense of security as a pet owner that
because the teeth look whiter that they are healthier." A
similar position statement was ratified by the American
Veterinary Medical Association: “When procedures such as
periodontal probing, intraoral radiography, dental scaling,
and dental extraction are justified by the oral examination,
they should be performed under anaesthesia.”
Figure 1A. 12-mm probing depth along the mesial aspects of the left
maxillary fourth premolar; extraction indicated. (All images courtesy
of Dr. Jan Bellows.)
Issue 04 | AUGUST 2017 | 23