One of the first pieces of equipment we purchased at our new dog and cat dental practice (Your Pet Dentist of Nashville) is a Cone Beam CT (CBCT). The reason for this decision is that research has proven that CBCT can identify endodontic disease (infected...
Recent studies indicate that 80% of dogs and cats have some form of periodontal disease by age 3. By definition, periodontal disease (PD) has 4 Stages. Stage 1 is defined as gingivitis (no bone loss); Stage 2 has <25% bone loss; Stage 3 has 26-50%...
I was recently lecturing in San Diego @ CVC West and one of my lecture topics was on Oral Oncology. One of the CVC administrators was in my lecture and wisely took notes and also made a video. Here are the excerpts from his short blog:...
We all make New Year's Resolutions, but do we make resolutions for our beloved pets? If not, it's time to consider doing so. Here are a few resolutions to live by that will help your pet be happier and live longer: Have your dog and cat's...
Facial swelling is a common sign of oral cancer in cats. And because older cats are more prone to cancer, you may assume the worst if you notice a mass on your cat's mouth. However, in some cases, mouth swelling can be a sign your...
Dental examinations, to include sedation, cleaning, polishing, probing, and dental radiography are recommended annually. Removal of supra gingival (visible) calculus is only a minor aspect of the procedure. Removal of subgingival plaque and calculus is actually more important, as this is where the disease process...
I recommend dental radiographs on every annual ATP (Assessment, Treatment, Prevention) I perform. Regardless if the visible crown looks good, there could be problems lurking below the gumline. Studies show that almost 3 in 10 dogs and 4 in 10 cats have problems under the...
For those of you that did not read my latest constant contact blog, I posed two questions regarding the usage of both Chlorhexdine 0.12% rinse/gel and Doxirobe 7.5% gel. Chlorhexidine rinse or gel is an excellent antiseptic agent that is used routinely in my dental procedures,...
First things first: When you see an oral mass in the mouth of a dog or cat, biopsy it as soon as possible. Get a representative biopsy of the mass without interrupting the architecture around the mass. Smaller masses may be able to be removed...
A study of discolored teeth in dogs showed that 92% of those teeth were non-vital (dead). These teeth studied had been entirely discolored in shades of pink, purple, grey or tan. This study evaluated the discolored tooth via dental radiography as well as evaluating the...