Did you know that animals need dental care too? At Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center, we provide your pet with advanced dental care with Peter Bates, DVM.

Dental Services Provided at SAVSEC inclue:

• Preventive Dental Care & Teeth Cleaning
• Periodontal Surgery
• Endodontics (Root Canal Treatment)
• Restorative Dentistry and Crowns
• Oral Surgery and Extractions
• Jaw Fracture Repair
• Orthodontic Evaluation and Treatment (to achieve a comfortable bite, not for cosmetic reasons)

The most common dental problems in pets are caused by periodontal disease and by trauma.

Periodontal Disease Is A Major Health Risk For Your Pet
Periodontal disease (loss of tooth attachment) is the most common clinical problem in companion animals. This is a condition in which bacteria attack the gingival tissue. As the infection progresses beyond gingivitis, destruction of the tooth socket and supporting tissues occurs. Oral inflammation may become quite severe and painful. The responsible bacteria may eventually enter the blood stream, causing damage to major organs including the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. The most common signs of periodontal disease include bad breath and redness along the gingival margin. Early professional treatment and consistent home care are required to manage this chronic disease.

My pet has a broken tooth. Is this a problem?
Fractured or broken teeth can be a serious problem. If the fracture exposes the pulp, prompt treatment is required. The exposed nerve is extremely sensitive. If left untreated, these teeth will become infected and abscess. Even teeth with superficial fractures can be painful, and are at risk of becoming infected. Dental X-rays are necessary to detect subtle pulp changes that indicate the need for treatment. Treatment of a fractured tooth once was limited to extraction, but today many injured teeth can be saved with root canal treatment. Early intervention is essential for the best treatment outcome to be achieved.

In dogs, teeth are most often fractured by chewing hard objects such as bones, rocks, ice, wood and hard toys. Accidental trauma may also lead to fractures of the canine teeth or incisors. Cats frequently fracture the upper canine teeth when they lose footing while jumping onto a hard floor.

Do cats have dental problems?
In addition to periodontal disease and fractured teeth, tooth resorption is a very common problem, affecting half of all domestic cats over 4 years of age. This condition was formerly called FORL, cat cavities, cervical line lesions or neck lesions. Tooth resorption may present as an enamel defect, or as deeper damage to the tooth structure. In some cases root pathology may be extensive while visible crown lesions are minimal. Therefore, dental X-rays should be obtained regularly to screen for this condition. Symptoms of tooth resorption can include salivation, oral bleeding, difficulty eating and hiding. The lesions are very painful. Despite this, symptoms can be hard to appreciate because animals don't know how to complain and changes in chewing mechanics are difficult to identify. It is important to realize that tooth resorption is progressive. The treatment of choice is extraction of the affected teeth as we currently do not have a way of preventing or halting progression of this condition.