Periodontal Therapy & Surgery
Treatments for periodontal disease in pets are varied and depends upon the severity of your pet’s problem. The cornerstone of treatment for periodontal disease is the professional dental cleaning. A Professional Dental Cleaning is also known as dental prophylaxis (or “Prophy” for short). By definition a dental prophylaxis is the use of appropriate procedures and/or techniques to prevent dental and oral disease; in this case any cleaning, scaling, and polishing of teeth designed to prevent gum disease. Prophy therapy is to control plaque which can lead to subgingival infection which, if left untreated, can make your pet very sick. Bacteria will enter the bloodstream and may subsequently damage the kidneys and/or heart leading to potential organ failure. Caring for your pet’s teeth and gums is vital to the health of your pet to remove the plaque and tarter that accumulates each day. Please give us a call today to schedule your pet’s periodontal therapy surgery.
If your pet has more severe periodontal disease, treatment options include:
- Root planing and subgingival curettage: Root planing involves removing residual calculus and diseased cementum or dentin, and smoothing the root surface. Subgingival curettage removes diseased epithelium and connective tissue.
- Gingivectomy: During a gingivectomy, hyperplastic or excess gingiva is removed. The area between this excess tissue and the tooth is a perfect habitat for bacteria.
- Periodontal surgery: These surgeries involve opening a flap of the gingiva over the root of the tooth to be able to reach the deeper structures.
- Pet Dental Extractions: In some cases, a tooth cannot be saved or the owner elects not to have other procedures performed. In these cases, tooth extraction is the only alternative.
Thinking about Anesthesia Free Pet Dentistry?
Call (410) 828-1001 to make an appointment at any of our locations or click below to contact us.
