DENTISTRY
yearly premiums similar to human dental insurance . For those patients not on a wellness plan there are many payment plan alternatives , which help alleviate the money issue .
Perceived Difficulty and Ineffectiveness of Home Care The patient ’ s immune response to plaque accumulation is the proximate cause of periodontal disease — more plaque and more rough tartar supports more plaque to irritate and infect underlying gingiva in those susceptible patients . The key to preserving teeth into old age lies in implementing a twice-daily plaque prevention program understood and supported by your clients and everyone in the office .
What you choose for home care is key . Tooth brushing , the gold standard , is not practiced enough because most clients are not willing ( or able ) to put their fingers inside their pets ’ mouths . Sending your clients to the pet store for nonefficacious homecare products is a waste of their time and money and is potentially dangerous for dogs chewing on bones , antlers , hard nylon toys and bully sticks .
The VOHC accepts products ( diets , chews , toothpaste ,
water additives and even a toothbrush ) that have been shown to decrease the accumulation of plaque and / or tartar by at least 15 % and an average of 20 % in two studies . Currently there are 36 dog and 12 cat products accepted .
Each prevention program needs to be tailored to the specific pet . What I have found most acceptable and effective is using dental wipes in the morning to rub away accumulated plaque and prescribing a VOHC-accepted dental diet followed by feeding a VOHC-accepted ageand size-appropriate dental chew in the evening after dinner . Aggressively promoting prevention first will make the largest impact in stopping periodontal disease and tooth loss . Your patients ' ( and clients ') smiles will be easier to see with teeth .
Reference Brodbelt D . Perioperative mortality in small animal anaesthesia . Vet J2009 ; 182 ( 2 ): 152-161 . Suggested reading Brodbelt DC , Pfeiffer DU , Young LE , et al . Results of the confidential enquiry into perioperative small animal fatalities regarding risk factors for anesthetic-related death in dogs . J Am Vet Med Assoc 2008 ; 233 ( 7 ): 1096-1104 . Brodbelt DC , Hammond R , Tuminaro D , et al . Risk factors for anaesthetic-related death in referred dogs . Vet Rec 2006 ; 158 ( 16 ): 563-564 .
Vet-Tome ®
The atraumatic extraction system that greatly reduces extraction time and saves bone !
The Vet-Tome is an automated periotome that offers extremely precise tooth extraction with minimal or no alveolar bone loss . The surgery is often flapless so the animal experiences reduced pain and swelling . This translates to less time spent extracting teeth and faster recovery time for the animal .
The electric foot-operated Vet-Tome uses replaceable ultra-thin stainless steel tips / blades coupled with the mechanical in and out action generated by the handpiece to cut the periodontal ligament , similar to a luxator ( hand instrument ). The mechanical action and thin flexible blade allows easy insertion into the periodontal ligament ( PDL ) and alveolus ( tooth socket ).
The electric Vet-Tome uses replaceable ultra-thin stainless steel tips / blades coupled with the mechanical in and out action generated by the handpiece to cut the periodontal ligament similar to a luxator ( hand instrument ).
VET-TOME BENEFITS
• Less trauma to the patient
• Speeds up the procedure
• May eliminate or reduce the need to remove buccal bone
• Allows work in tighter spaces
• Cuts paths for luxators and winged elevators
• Decreases hand fatigue
Issue 04 | AUGUST 2017 | 19