Your pet’s dental health may determine their longevity.

Dental disease is the most commonly diagnosed condition in pets—by age 3, 85 percent have periodontal disease. The chronic bacterial load caused by periodontal disease puts enormous strain on a pet’s organs, and may lead to liver, kidney, and heart failure. Pet owners may not realize the repercussions of periodontal disease, and therefore may not see the value in dental care.

At Marina Village Veterinary and Integrative Care, we provide the highest quality veterinary medicine to ensure your pet lives a long and happy life. Our dental care services maintain that high standard. Let us show you the features that set our dental care apart and give your pet the best chance for many additional years by your side.

Balanced anesthesia keeps your pet safe and comfortable

Effective veterinary dentistry requires general anesthesia. Anesthesia is the only way to ensure a safe and stress-free experience for your pet, as well as complete stillness, viewing, and access to their entire oral cavity. We are committed to anesthesia safety, and use the most current and advanced anesthetic protocols. Special consideration is given to your pet’s age, health status, and procedure when creating their customized anesthesia plan. Our goal for every pet is well-balanced anesthesia—a synergistic combination that provides appropriate sedation and pain control before, during, and after your pet’s procedure. 

Advanced anesthetic monitoring measures your pet’s vital signs

Your anesthetized pet is constantly connected to advanced monitoring equipment. Using the same technology as human hospitals, we continually measure your pet’s vital parameters throughout the procedure, including:

  • Blood oxygen levels
  • Heart and respiratory rate
  • Heart rhythm
  • Blood pressure
  • Carbon dioxide levels
  • Body temperature

Continual monitoring allows us to notice abnormalities, trends, and sudden changes, so we can modify our anesthesia or provide additional pain medication. 

Our highly skilled veterinary technicians are the most valuable anesthesia monitor. At our practice, your pet benefits from a dedicated anesthetic technician who is attentive to any change in their status. The technician continuously checks vitals by hand, updates the veterinarian, and maintains an anesthetic record until your pet is completely recovered.

Digital dental X-rays go below your pet’s gumline

Over 60 percent of the tooth lies below the gumline, which is also where most disease is found. Digital dental X-rays are the standard of care for advanced veterinary dentistry, and frequently help us diagnose hidden diseases, including:

  • Periodontal disease
  • Tooth root abscess
  • Fractured teeth
  • Unerupted teeth
  • Retained roots
  • Feline oral resorptive lesions
  • Bone loss
  • Bone cancer
  • Pathological jaw fracture, which can be caused by cancer or severe periodontal disease

Dental X-rays are also immensely valuable in planning extractions and oral surgery, providing a visual image of the root, pulp chamber, and socket, as well as their proximity to sensitive nerves and bone. Performing these procedures without X-ray guidance can lead to complications, including pain, disease progression, and infection.

Skilled cleaning removes your pet’s plaque and tartar

Tartar and plaque removal are performed with the most advanced dental cleaning technology. Our handheld ultrasonic scaler uses vibration to break up tartar, plaque, and bacterial biofilm from the tooth’s surface, and most importantly, below the gumline. Handheld instruments are used for fine detail debridement. Finally, each tooth surface is polished to remove the microscopic scratches caused by scaling. 

Advanced dental techniques improve your pet’s comfort and healing

Our practice maintains a high surgical care standard. Oral procedures require both assertive and delicate surgical techniques. Veterinarians must understand the exact pressure required to manually extract a multi-rooted tooth and to suture fragile gingival tissue. Incorrect technique is dangerous to pets, causing delayed healing times, dehiscence (i.e., incision reopening), jaw fracture, and broken roots. 

Our skilled veterinarians continually review their approach to ensure successful healing, minimal pain, and positive outcomes. A postoperative X-ray is standard procedure before closing any oral incision to confirm all root fragments have been removed. The gingiva is then carefully sutured to ensure appropriate healing.

Our holistic pain control protocol accelerates your pet’s healing

Pain is the greatest barrier to postoperative healing in humans and pets. Beyond the physical hurt, pain also creates its own damaging effects, including:

  • Delayed healing
  • Inflammation
  • Physical adaptations and compensations 
  • Increased stress hormone levels
  • Muscle tension
  • Behavioral change

High-quality dental care focuses on an improved experience and outcome for the patient, making pain management an absolute necessity. We provide perioperative pain control to ensure your pet has no discomfort during their procedure and recovery, including:  

  • Preoperative pain management — Anesthetic premedication includes an opioid or similar pain medication.
  • Intraoperative pain management— Regional nerve blocks numb specific oral quadrants before painful procedures, and are repeated as needed. 
  • Postoperative pain management — If your pet appears to be in pain, they may be given another injection or started on their oral prescriptions.
  • At home — All postsurgical pets are discharged with medication for steady pain control throughout their recovery. 

In addition, non-pharmaceutical pain relief with acupuncture, herbal therapy, or chiropractic adjustment also may be recommended to rebalance your pet after an anesthetic procedure. 

Your pet is more than a companion, and their oral health is more than their teeth and gums. High-quality dental care addresses your pet’s condition with precision, skill, and compassion. Let Marina Village Veterinary and Integrative Care improve your pet’s total health by scheduling an appointment for a dental examination.