DENTISTRY
first on the list and in your mind. When your clients
understand the reasons behind frequent professional
care—preventing pain and tooth loss—they are more apt
to comply. It is for their pets’ good and long-term welfare.
Prophylaxis and initial periodontal therapy: A quick
review
Although periodontal disease cannot be completely
reversed, dental prophylaxis is one of the tools we have to
effectively decrease the progression rate of its destructive
advancement. For most adult humans, prophylaxis is
recommended twice annually as a preventive measure
and every three to four months for periodontitis sufferers.
4.
5.
Root Planing: smoothing of the accessible tooth
root with a curette by the veterinarian to eliminate
remaining calculus and plaque.
Medication: following scaling and root planing,
antimicrobial medication can be placed into
bleeding sulci or moderate periodontal pockets
(Figures 4A-4C).
Here’s the Prophylaxis Process in Veterinary Patients.
1.
2.
3.
Supragingival Cleaning: to thoroughly clean the
area above the gum line with an ultrasonic scaler,
removing most of the
plaque and calculus
(Figures 2A-2C).
Subgingival Cleaning: for patients with early and
moderate stages of periodontal disease to remove
plaque and calculus from small gingival pockets
beneath the gum line (Figures 3A-3C).
Figure 3A. A curette before subgingival insertion. Figure
Tooth-by-Tooth Examination with full-mouth
intraoral radiographs: to show the extent of bone
support loss.
3B. Extension of the curette subgingivally.
Figures 2A-2C. An ultrasonic scaler used to remove plaque
and calculus from a dog's maxillary fourth premolar.
Figure 3C. Removal of subgingiva l debris.
Issue 04 | AUGUST 2017 | 17