Oral Surgery
The mouth is also called the oral cavity and surgery of the oral cavity is one of the most common procedures performed in veterinary medicine. Historically, diseased teeth were not addressed properly by veterinarians and pet owners. We now know that diseased teeth can be a significant source of pain and infection for your pet.
Oral surgery most often involves performing extractions of teeth. There are many reasons why a tooth may need to be extracted. Teeth that are fractured (broken) almost always need to be extracted or referred to a veterinary dentist for root canal therapy. Furthermore, severe gum disease (gingivitis) or periodontal disease can cause infection in the tooth.
Performing dental extractions is very time consuming and involves multiple steps. Some owners hesitate to undergo the procedure when their pet is still eating and not showing signs of pain. There are many reasons why we stress the topic of oral health and recommend that diseased teeth be removed. However, the most commonly discussed include (but are not limited to):
After all the roots of the diseased teeth are removed, the incision is closed with absorbable suture material and the wound heals withing about 10 to 14 days. We recommend feeding your pet a soft diet during the healing process, even if that means wetting their dry food with warm water. Therefore, recovery time is usually easy and quick.
We take great pride in our dentistry services at Green Valley. Our staff have undergone extensive training to learn the procedures necessary to prevent and treat dental disease. Our goal is to prevent and treat pain and infection in the oral cavity of every dog and cat that enters our practice.
Oral surgery most often involves performing extractions of teeth. There are many reasons why a tooth may need to be extracted. Teeth that are fractured (broken) almost always need to be extracted or referred to a veterinary dentist for root canal therapy. Furthermore, severe gum disease (gingivitis) or periodontal disease can cause infection in the tooth.
Performing dental extractions is very time consuming and involves multiple steps. Some owners hesitate to undergo the procedure when their pet is still eating and not showing signs of pain. There are many reasons why we stress the topic of oral health and recommend that diseased teeth be removed. However, the most commonly discussed include (but are not limited to):
- Diseased teeth are very painful even if your pet doesn't appear to be in pain. Most animals will not stop eating because this is a sign of weakness and evolutionarily, a risk of showing weakness to predators.
- Oral health has a bearing on many other bodily systems. Dental disease can pose a risk to your pet's heart and kidneys as well as their digestive tract if they are unable to chew or eat as well as they once could.
- Many people are worried that having a dog/cat with no teeth or fewer teeth is less of a dog/cat. Your pet would be much happier without a painful tooth that he/she would be with a painful tooth. While there may be a small benefit to still having teeth for defense in the wild, your pets who receive their food from you don't need to hunt or defend themselves. They will be glad to have a toothless, pain-free smile.
After all the roots of the diseased teeth are removed, the incision is closed with absorbable suture material and the wound heals withing about 10 to 14 days. We recommend feeding your pet a soft diet during the healing process, even if that means wetting their dry food with warm water. Therefore, recovery time is usually easy and quick.
We take great pride in our dentistry services at Green Valley. Our staff have undergone extensive training to learn the procedures necessary to prevent and treat dental disease. Our goal is to prevent and treat pain and infection in the oral cavity of every dog and cat that enters our practice.