Dental - Vet in Reno | Mountain View Animal Hospital

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Advanced dentistry for dogs and cats.

During a dental cleaning (sometimes called a prophylaxis), a full mouth radiography is performed to ensure your pet’s root and bone health are normal. Plaque and tartar are removed from a pet’s teeth, and the health of the entire mouth (tongue, gums, lips, and teeth) is assessed. A thorough dental cleaning can be accomplished only while the pet is under general anesthesia. Anesthesia keeps your pet free of pain during the dental procedure and allows your veterinarian to fully inspect the teeth and remove tartar from under the gums. During anesthesia, a soft plastic tube is inserted into the trachea (the main airway in the throat) to support the patient’s breathing. Placement of the tracheal tube also prevents inhalation of bacteria that are aerosolized during the dental cleaning. Fees vary based on the size of the pet and the severity of the dental disease.

Eighty-five percent of all pets have periodontal disease by the time they are 3 years of age.

Dental disease can result in bad breath, painful chewing, and tooth loss.
Bacteria under the gum can travel to the heart, kidneys, and liver causing the acceleration of many disease states.

Dental Surgeries

A dental cleaning may include the following:

Removal of visible plaque and tartar from the teeth
Elimination of plaque and tartar from under the gum
Probing of dental sockets to assess dental disease
Polishing to smooth enamel scratches that may attract bacteria
Dental radiographs (X-rays) to evaluate problems below the gumline

Application of fluoride or a dental sealer
Removal or repair of fractured or infected teeth
Dental charting so progression of dental disease can be monitored over time
Inspection of the lips, tongue, and entire mouth for growths, wounds, or other problems

Removal of visible plaque and tartar from the teeth
Elimination of plaque and tartar from under the gum
Probing of dental sockets to assess dental disease
Polishing to smooth enamel scratches that may attract bacteria
Dental radiographs (X-rays) to evaluate problems below the gumline
Application of fluoride or a dental sealer
Removal or repair of fractured or infected teeth
Dental charting so progression of dental disease can be monitored over time
Inspection of the lips, tongue, and entire mouth for growths, wounds, or other problems

A tooth may look healthy, however when a radiograph is taken it can show signs of periodontal disease under the gumline.

Oral Health

Your pet’s oral health plays a major role in their whole-body health. Frequent brushing and regular professional teeth cleanings go a long way to ensure a healthy mouth and happy dogs and cats. A preventative teeth cleaning helps minimize bacteria build-up in your pet's mouth through frequent teeth cleanings in between your regular anesthetic dental with radiography. Although the anesthesia-free preventative cleanings are not a replacement for an anesthetic dental that provides detailed information with radiography of tooth roots, it is the missing piece in your pets preventative health recommendations to reduce how often your pet may need to undergo anesthesia.

Preventative Non-Anesthetized Teeth Cleanings and Assessments (PTCA)

Mountain View Animal Hospital and Holistic Pet Care recommends that dogs and cats start to receive their annual preventative teeth cleaning at a young age, to prevent disease to the gums and enamel that may be permanent.

The PTCA procedure performed at Mountain View Animal Hospital & Holistic Pet Care is designed to be used for routine teeth cleaning and polishing in an effort to prevent major dental diseases from starting and progressing. Just as you are not placed under a general anesthetic when you have your teeth cleaned by a hygienist, we do not feel it safe to anesthetize animals repeatedly solely to clean their teeth. The animal is gently restrained and trained to accept the procedure, and the results are excellent. The teeth and gums are carefully examined and visible debris is removed. The teeth are cleaned with an ultrasonic scaler and then polished. A PTCA may also may be used on animals that have advanced heart and kidney disease that are too compromised for general anesthesia. Our Veterinarians will make additional recommendations to you if our examination reveals problems that require a complete dental prophylaxis or dental surgery.

Dental Surgeries

Oral Exam

The Preventative Oral Exam and cleaning performed on your pet at Mountain View Animal Hospital & Holistic Pet Care is considered to be a Teeth Cleaning procedure and is not recognized to be a complete Dental Prophylaxis as determined by the American Veterinary Medical Association. A complete dental prophylaxis consists of radiography of the roots of the teeth, and an extensive cleaning comprised of subgingival scraping and examination, as well as scaling and polishing of the teeth. This is performed under general anesthesia and may require full blood panels. Current veterinary protocol is for this procedure to be performed annually.