#dentals

[ask-a-vetblr]

So my cat broke a lower fang clean off. I'm already going to take him for bloodwork tomorrow to prepare for extraction, but the best I can do for earliest dental extraction is next week without paying over $1000 at an emergency clinic, which I can't afford. I called many places. The receptionists didn't sound alarmed for my cat though, so that makes me wonder. While google says that a broken tooth can be an emergency, how risky is it to get it extracted a week later? I'm not planning on saving his tooth either. That I know is time sensitive.

vet-and-wild here.

Maybe it's a regional thing, but where I'm at we don't consider a broken tooth an emergency. I'd be curious to know where you're located (you don't actually have to tell us, I just think what you said is really interesting) because I can't imagine any ER around me being willing to extract a tooth. They'd probably prescribe pain meds and antibiotics and recommend follow up with a general practitioner. The reason a broken tooth is concerning is that if there is exposure of the pulp cavity (where the nerves and vessels are) it can lead to potential pain and infection. Sometimes we find a broken tooth on a physical exam just by chance. We don't know when it happened and the owner is surprised to hear that it happened at all because the animal isn't showing symptoms. We still recommend removal if there is exposure of the pulp cavity, because it could lead to further problems. And tooth pain sucks.

The only time we have to try to rearrange our schedule for a dental to get it done sooner is if the animal's teeth are so bad it isn't eating, or there is a broken tooth causing severe pain/infection. I can count on one hand the number of times I've had that happen, and of course one of them was my own dog. Otherwise, we can generally schedule it as a routine dental. Dentals with tooth extractions are pretty involved procedures so it's not something we can do at the drop of a hat. Unless a tooth is already super loose, we often have to burr away bone and make gingival flaps to get the tooth out. It also rarely makes sense (both from a financial and practical perspective) to just extract a single tooth and not do the rest of the dental (i.e. dental x rays, scaling and polishing, probing, etc) so we also have to account for that time too.

[galtx]

GALTx eNews: Let's Be There For Memory!

Memory opted to retire before racing even one race so that she could begin her search for a forever home with a backyard full of nature for her to explore and hopefully another Greyhound for guidance. She loves to roll in the grass, watch squirrels through the window and go on walks. At just three years old, this youngster deserves the best of everything the world has to offer.

But life is often unfair. Our vets recently diagnosed Memory with Canine Ulcerative Paradental Stomatitis, or CUPS. CUPS is a painful disease of the mouth affecting a dog's gums, teeth, cheeks, and tongue. Memory's case is severe and our vets recommend that Memory have all of her teeth removed to manage her condition. The treatment will be accomplished in four separate surgeries, removing all the teeth of one quadrant of her mouth at a time. Each surgery is estimated to cost several thousand dollars, so times four will be quite expensive. We could really use a hand with these vet bills so that we can continue to remain true to our mantra of "No Grey Turned Awaytm" regardless of their medical needs. You can be a part of Memory's story and her journey forever home with a donation to our Giving Tuesday Facebook fundraiser or to our Dr. E. Kelly Nitsche Veterinary Care Fund on our website. No amount is too small to help Memory.

Before Memory's surgeries and recovery can begin, we need to find her an experienced foster home without cats near VCA Preston Park Animal Hospital in Dallas that can provide her transportation to the vet and post-operative care. If you think you might be able to open your home to this sweet girl during this important time in her life, please email our foster coordinators at [email protected].

Thank you to all who have already helped Memory and given her the love and support she needs. She will always remember you and your kindness.

November 11, 2021

[beatsforbrothels]

Visit Original Link

Big Flowers - Dentals (ft. ELUCID & lojii)

[drferox]

teeth....

Anonymous said to @ask-drferox: Can I ask why dental extractions are your least favorite? Is it just tedious work (removing all those TEETH, omg) or is it particularly difficult/not as straight forward as it seems (to a non-vet/dentist/doctor)?

If I do a dental in general practice I am either cleaning the teeth, or extracting teeth that are too far gone to do much else with. A clean (scale and polish) is fine, it’s not super strenuous although it requires attention to detail. It is extractions that I loathe.

Aside from technical difficulties with some teeth I have a persistent anxiety about a couple of potential events.

Teeth so rotten they have broken the jaw secondary to the osteomyelitis they cause. I have seen this happen twice, though it’s not been my own cases.

Teeth almost rotten enough to break the jaw, but then it actually breaks when you try to extract the tooth.

Breaking the lower jaw in general

Having your instrument pass through infected or frail bone of the upper jaw and entering the nasal cavity.

Having your instrument pass through the infected or frail bone of the upper jaw and entering the eye socket.

Stabbing the tongue, and its large veins on the underside, with a sharp implement.

And some teeth just test my patience trying to get those damned roots out entire.

I know these procedures are for the benefit of my patients but I cannot shake the anxiety in doing them.

I dislike doing dentals so much that it was one of my motives for getting into emergency medicine.

[iheartvmt]

[ask-a-vetblr]

Hi! I did see stomatitis mentioned on a few of your pages and on here, but I'd really like to ask for advice on how to approach it. I'm autistic and have a hard time communicating, but I gotta advocate for my baby. My vet suspects my 4M cat has stomatitis. He was tested for FeLV and FIV 2 years ago and is strictly indoors. He is otherwise healthy as far as we know. He will be going in for bloodwork, dental cleaning, X-Rays, and possible extractions. (1/?)

My understanding from the vet was just extractions of the teeth that are inflamed if it is what he thinks it is (not full mouth extractions), but that may have been a misinterpretation. Further research into it, and I think I'm going to ask about full mouth extractions if it isn't ruled out as something else. From what I'm seeing, trying to manage it long-term without them can backfire at any time. But I am guessing I won't even know for sure until he has already been put under anesthesia. (2/?)

How do I politely go about ensuring that the person doing the procedure is experienced enough? I was seeing a lot about how you need to make sure they get the root. My clinic is great, & there is a vet there that has special interests in feline medicine & dentistry. Her credentials look good & it says she primarily does surgeries there. Should I ask about it before the cleaning/XRay/extraction appointment, or should I wait to ask about full mouth extractions? I'm lost on the logistics. (3/3)

gettingvetted here.

Every cat is an individual regarding stomatitis. Some cats only need the inflamed teeth removed and they never have another issue especially if strict medical management (immunosuppressants, superb at-home dental care) is used. Some cats will eventually need all of the teeth removed (although the canine teeth are typically left behind, since for some reason they don’t tend to be as problematic).

In general it is much more difficult to remove a healthy tooth than a diseased tooth, so it is debated whether removal of all the teeth, even if some of them are still healthy, is a good idea in stomatitis patients. I don’t think it’s wrong to do that, but it’s not my approach. Why would I lengthen the anesthesia time, cause more pain, and prolong the healing of my patient for a set of problems that may never happen?

If a clinic is offering the dental procedure, their staff is experienced enough to perform it. Why would we offer something we cannot do? It is important to remove the entire root during every extraction, not just full mouth extractions or extractions in stomatitis patients, so making sure to remove the entire root would not be something unusual surrounding stomatitis cases. It sounds like your vet knows what she’s doing. If you wanted to ask *something*, you could say that you were reading about full mouth extractions and wanted to know if it was a good idea for your cat. You could also ask how many stomatitis patients does your doctor see that end up needing full mouth extractions over time?

Hope this helps.

[ask-a-vetblr]

Are some cats just predisposed to gingivitis? My old cat has had recurring gingivitis ever since maybe 5? Now 19 this summer. Due to her age making anesthesia more risky my vet recommended just pulling every tooth that was even slightly inflamed when it last flared up. Is that a common course of action for cats? Now she just has 3 teeth and still insists on only eating her dry kibble, she's my spunky ol' lady.

gettingvetted here.

Yep, I would say cats as a whole are prone to gingivitis, but some cats (possibly yours) are especially prone to stomatitis. Removal of all the teeth is a fairly common course of action and yep, even animals with no teeth will insist on eating kibble! That is one of many reasons why I am comfortable recommending the procedure. Many pet owners fear that their pet won’t be able to eat anymore with no teeth, and I love being able to give examples like this.