Dental Care and Your Pet

Professional Cleanings • Endodontics • Periodontal TreatmentsRestoratives • Dental Home Care & Nutritional Counseling • Oral Surgery • Synthetic Ceramic Bone Grafts

Our dental care standards are designed with your pet’s health and comfort in mind. We offer many services not available from other veterinarians. East Lake Veterinary Hospital follows strict guidelines to assure the highest level of safety and sterility for your pet.

Dental Care...a key to pet longevity

• 80% of pets develop gingivitis (gum tissue disease) by the age of 3.
• Dental disease is painful to your pet.
• More than 85% of dogs and cats over 4 years of age have oral disease.
• No other medical procedure does more to improve your pet’s health than regular dental cleanings.
Infection from the mouth is a leading cause of kidney failure, heart failure, liver disease, and lung disease.

What sets East Lake's dental therapy apart?

Our hospital is accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), a distinction held by less than 14% of animal hospitals in the country. This accreditation is earned through our adherence to AAHA’s stringent standards for the highest quality of care. All of our doctors are members of the American Veterinary Dental Society (AVDS) and have advanced training in dentistry.

The 21 steps of East Lake Dental Care

1. Pre-anesthetic evaluation - Our on-site laboratory allows us to screen for hidden problems before your pet’s treatment begins. These tests also provide a baseline for monitoring your pet and allow us to tailor the anesthesia to your pet’s needs. Additionally, blood pressure, temperature, pulse, respiration, and an EKG are evaluated prior to anesthesia.

2. Preoperative medication - After your pet is admitted, medications are administered to help relieve anxiety, decrease discomfort, and help reduce the level of anesthesia needed for your pet’s procedure.

3. Intravenous catheter and fluids - Prior to your pet’s procedure, a small, comfortable catheter is placed in a leg vein for the administration of fluids. These fluids help the patient recover more quickly from anesthesia, maintain blood pressure, and increase circulation during anesthesia. The intravenous catheter is also used to administer medications if needed.

4. Anesthesia is necessary to fully examine the mouth, to effectively remove plaque below the gum line and to properly polish the teeth. An endotracheal tube is placed and helps prevent bacteria taken off the teeth during cleaning from entering the lungs. Isoflurane gas is the gas anesthesia we use, which is also used in human medicine. It is primarily eliminated through the respiratory tract, rather than through the kidneys or liver, so risk is low and patients recover quickly.

5. Monitoring & Nursing care - Your pet’s blood pressure, temperature, heart rate and rhythm, respirations, and oxygen levels are closely monitored using state of the art equipment. Additionally, CO2 levels can be monitored for additional safety. Trained veterinary nurses assist our veterinarians throughout the procedure and they stay with your pet throughout recovery.

6. Oral examination - Once your pet is anesthetized the mouth is fully examined. The throat, tonsils, tongue, and teeth are inspected closely for disease, and your pet is evaluated for periodontal disease.

7. Digital Dental radiographs - Only 20% of your pet’s teeth are visible and the other 80% lies below the gum line. Dental radiology is an important diagnostic tool that allows us to examine below the gum line for disease and abscesses that can otherwise not be seen. Digital dental radiography, only available at a limited number of veterinary practices, allows for immediate results and electronic referral to a specialist when needed.

8. CET antibacterial oral rinse - This product is rinsed over the teeth prior to beginning the cleaning process in the mouth. The active ingredients, chlorhexidine and zinc gluconate, help kill bacteria in the mouth and prevent bacterial aerosolization and the systemic spread of microorganisms into other areas of your pet’s body.

9. Supragingival calculus removal - Specially designed tools are used to remove pieces of calculus (cement-like mineralized accumulations on the teeth) while preventing damage to the enamel surface. Calculus causes tooth and gum disease.

10. Ultrasonic dental scaling - Using a specially designed wand with a small scaling tip, ultrasonic waves with water remove plaque, tartar, calculus, and bacteria more efficiently and effectively and with less risk of damage to the tooth surface than hand scaling alone. Using these tools the teeth are cleaned above and below the gum line and in between tooth surfaces where debris can hide.

11. Probing - Once teeth surfaces are thoroughly cleaned through scaling, probing of the periodontal space is done. Each tooth is evaluated, individually checking inner and outer surfaces and between teeth for hidden disease.

12. Polishing and smoothing of tooth surfaces - Using a low speed hand piece tool, a final polish is provided to the tooth surface. Polishing smooths and repairs defects, irregularities, and abraded surfaces. This step slows plaque reaccumulation and may help your pet need fewer future dental cleanings.

13. Oral irrigation - This step removes calculus and paste debris from tooth pockets and below the gum line, which can become infected and provide a nutrient base for bacterial growth. This step prepares the mouth for fluoride treatment.

14. Fluoride treatment - Using C.E.T. FluraFom, the enamel is hardened, decreasing future tooth damage, and helps the teeth become less sensitive.

15. Post cleaning examination - One of the final steps of the procedure involves a detailed inspection of the mouth, re-evaluating each tooth individually and checking inner and outer surfaces and between teeth. It is in this step that the decisions are made related to periodontal therapy, root canals, extractions, or bonded sealant treatments, medications, and future care.

16. Periodontal therapy - If indicated, this involves treatment below the gum line. Therapies used include scaling and polishing, smoothing root surfaces (root planing) and removal of gum tissue responsible for trapping debris. Slow-release antibiotic gel or paste is placed into infected gum pockets, treating the diseased tooth over a period of several weeks. This can prevent tooth loss and help bone to re-form.

17. OraVet Barrier Sealant contains a patented polymer that binds to tooth surfaces and is proven to reduce plaque and calculus. It is the final step of your pet’s dental cleaning.

18. Pain management - Your pet’s comfort is important to us. Injectable medications are given prior to the dental cleaning to make the anesthesia process smoother, alleviate discomfort, and reduce anxiety. If dental extractions are necessary, anesthetic nerve blocks are used locally to optimize pain relief. Additionally, injections or oral medications may be given after the dental procedure to relieve discomfort.

19. Home dental care is critical to help prevent pain, reaccumulation of debris, and disease in your pet’s mouth between dental cleanings. We release each pet with recommendations for home dental care and a free dental kit to help extend the time between professional cleanings.

20. Future Dental Care Plan - Establishing a schedule for regular professional dental evaluations and treatments based on your pet’s individual needs is critically important for long term oral health. Oral health also leads to a longer life span for your pet and helps avoid kidney failure, heart failure, liver and lung disease. Each pet is released with a customized plan for future care.

21. Periodontal Vaccine - This vaccine for dogs aids in preventing periodontitis by targeting the three most common bacteria associated with infection and bone loss with progressive dental disease. This vaccine has been proven effective in slowing the progress of dental disease.

Call Today at 214.342.3100!
Schedule your pet’s dental cleaning or a free dental assessment!

Is my pet silently suffering?

Missy had trouble with her teeth but we didn’t know about it. She would just sit in her bed all the time. We brought her in to East Lake and they found a broken tooth. Looking back, it was obviously hurting her. She had been in pain for quite a while and we didn’t know about it. Now she is much more relaxed, she comes out of her room more often, she has just been a completely changed cat. She likes to snuggle and doesn’t let the other cats push her around the way she did before.
-Reg & Susan P

Is my pet too old?

Our 9-year-old longhair dachshund was fairly active, but after her teeth were cleaned, she has been like a tiger. She is extra active– running around, jumping, playing– even interacting with all of our other dogs. I would highly recommend that you have your dogs teeth cleaned on a regular basis, it sure makes a difference health-wise and activity-wise.
-David G.

My cat is a 14-year-old diabetic named Elmo. He had never had dental x-rays before, none of the other hospitals I had taken him to had the technology. After taking x-rays at East Lake we found he had several diseased teeth. He is almost like a kitten again. He also went from needing eight units of insulin twice a day, which is a lot for a cat, to needing two units twice a day. He is a completely different cat and I am so thankful we did this for him.
-Holly M.

What about anesthesia?

I was worried that my little frail six pound, sixteen year old Princess couldn’t tolerate the anesthesia. I knew she needed the procedure, but I was scared. I’m happy to report that she did great and is more happy, playful, and purring more than ever. My anesthesia worries were far outweighed by the benefits of how healthy Princess is today. I’m so glad I didn’t wait.
-Al F.

Visit our facilities 7 days a week and see the East Lake difference. We take great pride in our work and we pledge to treat your pets as if they were our own.
If you have questions about our unique services, we’d love to talk to you!

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