Pet Dentistry

Virginia Beach Veterinary Hospital’s Pet Dentistry

In some procedures, your pet will need to be administered general anesthesia so that he or she will be unconscious and not feel pain. Many pet owners worry about their pets being administered general anesthesia. We can assure you that modern anesthesia is generally quite safe; to further lower any risk, we perform a physical examination and run blood work ahead of time to catch any underlying health issues. In addition, we follow a specific anesthetic protocol, including monitoring vital signs during the procedure, to ensure the safety of our patients.

We begin most general anesthetic procedures by administering a sedative to help the pet relax and decrease any anxiety and pain. We then administer an intravenous drug to provide complete anesthesia and place a breathing tube into the patient’s trachea (windpipe). To maintain the state of unconsciousness, we deliver a gas anesthetic in combination with oxygen through the breathing tube.

We are proud that we have the most up–to–date equipment to treat dental diseases, including digital dental x–rays. This allows us to detect if there is any disease beneath the gum line that we would not be able to see otherwise. We are often able to see undetected abscesses, broken teeth, resorbed roots, retained roots, and more, thanks to dental radiographs.

We offer cleaning, scaling, and polishing which is done under anesthesia. This allows our team to clean under the gum line where periodontal disease is found. This includes polishing the teeth and scaling the gingival pocket (the subgingival space between the gum and the root). Afterward, we will polish your pet’s teeth to smooth enamel scratches that may attract bacteria.

If the dental disease is advanced, tooth extraction may be necessary. If this is the case, your veterinarian will use a local anesthetic in your pet’s mouth to ensure the best comfort possible. Our veterinarians are experienced in tooth extraction. Comfort and quick healing are a priority; your pet will receive in–hospital pain control and will go home with pain medication as well. Your veterinarian will guide you on the use of antibiotics in dentistry; with infection, it is imperative to have antibiotic treatment.