Why don’t we just ‘clean the teeth’?

Calling the dental procedure ‘just a teeth cleaning’ misses many essential steps. We call it COHAT – a Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment. It’s a thorough assessment of the oral cavity of your pet.

When a dental cleaning is performed without a comprehensive evaluation by a veterinarian the patient will often have dental disease go undiagnosed and remain in pain.

Teeth can be compared to icebergs. There is more structure below the gumline than what is visible above it. Cleaning the teeth is a vital part of COHAT. But without fully evaluating all dental structures and surrounding bone below the gum, a significant amount of disease will be missed.

Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment is a complex procedure involving the whole body, not only the mouth:

1. A full clinical examination is performed followed by a review of clinical history. Systemic approach is a key. Some pets will required advanced test to be qualified for general anaesthesia.

2. A blood test is conducted prior to anaesthesia to evaluate internal organs function. It’s a crucial step of COHAT.

3. Following the examination and diagnostics a pre-anaesthetic medications are administered. It’s to provide pain relief, minimize discomfort and anxiety.

4. An intravenous catheter is always placed prior to anaesthesia and IV fluids given throughout the procedure. These fluids help maintain correct blood pressure, prevent dehydration and protect vital organs.

5. Patient is attached to monitoring devices. Blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, temperature and many other important values are monitored both by machines and dedicated anaesthesiologist.

6. Once patient is under anaesthesia the first part of dental treatment begins with intraoral dentral radiographs. Did you know that at least 40% oral disease in veterinary patients will go undiagnosed without dental radiographs? Radiographs allow for assessment of the teeth and supporting structures below the gum line that are not visible during the initial conscious oral exam. There is no quality veterinary dentistry without dental radiographs.

7. Oral examination includes detailed evaluation of the soft tissues of the whole oral cavity. It includes tonsils, back and top of the mouth, the tongue, the salivary glands, the mucosa and gingiva. Each individual tooth is examined for any abnormalities like periodontal pockets, mobility, discoloration, fractures, abrasion, and many more. All the findings are recorded on the dental chart and treatment plan is placed.

8. The mouth is disinfected using an oral antiseptic rinse. Dental plaque and calculus are removed from the patient’s teeth and the area immediately below the gumline with an ultrasonic scaler. Plaque accumulation below in the gingival sulcus is the first battleground of the body’s defense against periodontal disease. Hand curette instruments are often used to help clean plaque and calculus from the gingival sulcus. Once the teeth have been scaled, they are polished using a special paste. Plaque easily attaches itself to roughened areas. Polishing removes any surface irregularities, which in turn decreases plaque retention. The oral cavity is then thoroughly rinse.

9. There might be additional treatments needed. Most of the time it can be perform at the same day, if there are multiple teeth affected, their treatment might be scheduled for another procedure.Treatmet might include: surgical extractions, periodontal therapy, Restoration or root endodontic treatment (root canal).

10. Once this step is completed the anaesthesia part of the COHAT is done. Patient is monitored closely during recovery process, until they are able to safely go home.

11. At the discharge appointment our veterinarian will review the entire procedure. Radiographs, findings and details of treatment are presented to the owner. The aftercare is discussed and medications explained.

12. It’s often recommended to schedule the next dental check appointment within 6-12 months.

13. The final step of COHAT is dental home-care. The veterinarian will propose the best option of maintaining oral hygiene of your pet at home and will demonstrate how to do it. While the best option is always daily burshing, some pets might require a personalised approach.

How do I know my pet needs COHAT?

Pets might be reluctant to eat, become less active, start drooling, and develop unpleasant smell from their mouth. Avoid chewing or chew on objects to deal with pain.
⚠️However, most of the pets (especially cats) won’t show obvious signs. They will suffer in silence.
This is why regular dental check-ups are so important.

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ANIMAL DOCTORS INTERNATIONAL VIETNAM
→ Hotline: 1900 633093
→ Email: info@animaldoctors.vn