During a professional dental cleaning, your pet’s veterinary team takes many steps to ensure your furry pal’s safety, comfort, and oral health. Follow along as our Advanced Veterinary Care of Pasco team shares a fictitious pet’s dental-care journey, from the moment her owner spots an oral problem, to the plan for a healthy future.

A dog’s tooth troubles

Trixie is a 5-year-old miniature dachshund with particularly foul breath that is much worse than typical doggy breath. Her owner scheduled an exam to get to the root of Trixie’s stinky breath, and when Dr. Smith took a peek inside the pup’s mouth, he immediately discovered the problem.

“See all this yellowish-brown material on Trixie’s teeth and the bright-red inflammation of her gums? Those are signs of serious dental disease, which is one of the most common problems I diagnose in cats and dogs,” explained Dr. Smith. “Trixie’s small size and her breed predispose her to developing dental disease at a faster rate than most larger dogs. Left untreated, your dog’s dental disease can cause her to experience extreme oral pain, loose teeth, missing teeth, tooth-root abscesses, and even heart and kidney disease. We need to tackle this issue before Trixie’s condition worsens.”

Preanesthetic testing and anesthetic protocol planning for a professional veterinary dental cleaning

Worried about her dog’s health and comfort, Trixie’s owner scheduled her pooch for the next available dental cleaning with our Advanced Veterinary Care of Pasco team. On the day of Trixie’s procedure, her owner dropped her off early in the morning to undergo preanesthetic testing. A comprehensive physical exam and preanesthetic blood work help identify organ dysfunction, anemia, infection, and other abnormalities that may need to be addressed before a pet has a professional dental cleaning. Trixie’s test results also influenced her anesthetic protocol, helping ensure our team provided her with the safest plan for her specific health status.

Once we had formulated Trixie’s anesthetic protocol, we administered a premedication cocktail that included a sedative and pain medication, and we placed an intravenous (IV) catheter. Our team then started administering IV fluids to support Trixie’s organ function, maintain her hydration, bolster her blood pressure, and balance her electrolytes.

After Trixie’s preanesthetic medication had taken effect, we induced anesthesia with an IV induction agent. Next, we protected her airway by placing an endotracheal (i.e., breathing) tube that administered fresh oxygen and anesthetic gas to keep Trixie unconscious and properly oxygenated. To monitor Trixie’s vital signs, our team members used their senses, including touch, vision, and hearing, in addition to high-tech equipment. Before starting her dental cleaning, we hooked up Trixie to a blood pressure cuff, pulse oximeter, and electrocardiograph (ECG), which allowed us to keep a close eye on Trixie’s heart rate and rhythm, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and temperature. Abnormalities in these vital signs could indicate Trixie was having a problem with her anesthetic, experiencing pain, or reacting to medication or stimulus, and indicating the need to adjust our protocol.

A comprehensive professional veterinary dental cleaning

Once Trixie was safely anesthetized and hooked up to monitoring equipment, we began our comprehensive oral exam. Using special dental tools, our team probed around each tooth to check for gingival pockets, resorptive lesions, and other periodontal problems. We assessed Trixie’s entire oral cavity for abnormalities, including her teeth, gums, tongue, and palate. 

During the oral examination, we discovered Trixie had a tooth-root abscess in her upper jaw at the large fourth premolar’s site. This tooth commonly causes issues, as it has three deep roots that can trap bacteria and cause an infection. Trixie’s best option was to have the diseased tooth extracted, removing the pain and infection source. We administered a local anesthetic to the area, allowing time for the medication to take effect. Meanwhile, our team cleaned Trixie’s other teeth.

First, using hand tools, we removed large tartar chunks. Then, using an ultrasonic scaler, our team finished removing all plaque and tartar from above and below the gumline. Once Trixie’s teeth were clean, we polished the enamel smooth of microabrasions to help create a bacteria-impervious surface. 

At this point, the local anesthetic had taken effect at Trixie’s fourth premolar site, so we extracted the diseased tooth, flushed the area clean, and sutured the gum closed. To finish Trixie’s dental cleaning, we applied a fluoride treatment, which helps strengthen the enamel.

Professional veterinary dental cleaning recovery

After our team completed every professional dental-cleaning step, we helped Trixie recover from the anesthesia by turning off the anesthetic gas while continuing to supply fresh oxygen through the endotracheal tube. As Trixie began to regain consciousness, we disconnected her completely from the anesthesia machine and monitored her closely as she woke up. Trixie recovered well after receiving her multimodal anesthetic protocol, and she appeared to be comfortable and pain-free.

After Trixie was able to stand unassisted, she was allowed to return home with prescriptions for pain medication and antibiotics. We also provided her owner with instructions on how to brush Trixie’s teeth and gave her additional at-home dental care tips to follow to help Trixie avoid this problem in the future. 

When Trixie’s owner picked her up, she also scheduled her furry pal’s next dental cleaning to stay on top of Trixie’s oral health. Her owner never wanted to put Trixie through tooth disease pain again. By receiving regular preventive dental care, Trixie kept the rest of her teeth strong and healthy.

If you have questions or concerns about your pet’s upcoming dental cleaning, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our Advanced Veterinary Care of Pasco team is here to answer your questions and ease your worries—just give us a call.