Nothing is more beautiful than a sparkly white smile, especially when paired with a puppy kiss and fresh breath. Our 360 Pet Medical team loves delivering high quality oral health care to our community pets, and every bright smile is a shining example of our dedication to dental care. While some dental cleanings focus only on the parts of the tooth you can see—read about the dangers of anesthesia-free dental cleanings here—a comprehensive oral health assessment and treatment (COHAT) goes below the gum line to attack tough tartar and stubborn plaque. 

Read on to learn more about the 360 Pet Medical dental cleaning process, and what makes our oral health care services so special for your pet. 

We evaluate your pet’s health with a preanesthetic screening test

Before your pet’s dental cleaning procedure can begin, we evaluate their health through multiple screening tests. We first perform a thorough physical exam the day of their procedure. We may have seen them a few days prior to their dental cleaning, but we still examine them again to ensure nothing has changed, and to obtain their baseline vital signs.

In addition to examining your pet on the outside, we perform an internal health check through preanesthetic blood work. A complete blood count (CBC) lets us know if your pet is anemic, has an active infection, is dehydrated, or may have clotting problems. A blood chemistry panel imparts valuable information about organ function and electrolyte levels. These details guide our team on formulating a customized anesthetic protocol, tailored to their unique health status, and the reason for their procedure. For example, a geriatric cat with kidney disease will have a different anesthetic protocol than a Chihuahua puppy whose deciduous teeth have not fallen out. 

Once we have created your pet’s safest anesthetic protocol, we place an intravenous (IV) catheter, and administer a sedative and pain reliever combination. The IV catheter will also help keep your pet safe by allowing us to administer fluids throughout the procedure, to assist in blood pressure management and flushing out anesthetic drugs. In an emergency, the catheter also provides immediate access to a vein, should we need to rapidly administer life-saving medications. 

We keep your pet safe with anesthesia monitoring

After the premedications have sufficiently sedated your pet, we induce general anesthesia with medication through the IV catheter. While your pet is being induced, during their entire procedure, and throughout their recovery period, our highly trained team closely monitors their vital signs to ensure their safety. Our credentialed veterinary technicians are essential for keeping a close eye on your pet, and for informing our veterinarians if anything appears amiss. They monitor the following vital signs:

  • Heart rate and rhythm
  • Respiratory rate and effort
  • Blood pressure
  • Oxygen and carbon dioxide levels
  • Temperature
  • Electrocardiograph (ECG)
  • Pain level
  • Anesthetic depth

While our veterinary technicians use top-of-the-line monitoring equipment while keeping watch over your pet, nothing is more effective than their hands and eyes for monitoring a patient’s health. Intuition, backed by years of education and experience, sets our team apart, particularly when paired with cutting-edge monitoring equipment.

We use innovative equipment to perform advanced dental care procedures

The majority of pets—up to 90%—have dental disease by age 2. This impressive, yet unfortunate, statistic means many pets will require advanced dental care during their lifetime. Not all veterinary practices have the capability to take digital dental X-rays, carefully extract diseased teeth, or apply a bonded sealant to a fractured tooth, but our practice has invested in advanced equipment and training, to provide the following procedures:

  • Pre-anesthetic screening
  • Anesthetic monitoring
  • Full-mouth dental X-rays
  • Intra-oral local anesthesia
  • Bonded sealants
  • Gingivectomies
  • Oral surgery (e.g., mass removal, biopsy)
  • Surgical extractions
  • Doxirobe gel application

With our dental care services on par with human dentistry services, your pet never needs to suffer from periodontal problems. We have the tools and skills necessary to treat almost any dental issue, to ensure your furry pal has a healthy, comfortable smile. If your pet’s dental issues are too complex for the treatment options available at our facility, we can refer you to Dr. Tony Woodward at Montana Pet Dentistry & Oral Surgery.

For elevated dental care services for your four-legged friend, trust in our 360 Pet Medical team. Our cutting-edge equipment, highly trained staff, and devotion to patient care will ensure your pet receives the best dental care possible to keep their mouth disease- and pain-free. Contact our team, to schedule your pet’s oral health assessment.