Dental equipment: Using the right tools to provide the best care for your patients

A proper set of tools is a big part of good dental care. Here’s an overview of what you should have at your fingertips before delving into the world of dentistry.

Dental prophylaxis: Examination, cleaning, and home care

Successful prevention of dental disease takes a partnership between you and the pet owner. With your periodic and thorough dental exams and the owner’s diligent home care, the pet wins.

Periodontal disease: More than just a dirty mouth

Oral bacteria and compounds that enter the bloodstream may be associated with problems throughout the body. So when you control periodontal disease, you don’t just get a clean mouth, you’re also likely guarding your patient’s overall health.

Using Intraoral Regional Anesthetic Nerve Blocks

Local anesthesia and regional anesthetic nerve blocks have been used for decades in human dentistry, but incorporating intraoral regional anesthetic blocks into veterinary dental and oral surgical procedures did not gain acceptance until the mid-1990s.

Diagnosing and Treating Chronic Ulcerative Paradental Stomatitis

Chronic ulcerative paradental stomatitis (CUPS) is a painful condition in dogs that is also known as ulcerative stomatitis, idiopathic stomatitis, and lymphocytic-plasmacytic stomatitis.

How to Detect and Treat Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions

Tooth resorption is the most common dental problem in cats, with studies worldwide showing a prevalence rate (in cats presented for dental problems) of up to 75%.

How to Perform a Nonsurgical Extraction

Adental extraction should be considered an end-stage procedure.

How to Perform a Surgical Extraction

In May, I explained how to perform a nonsurgical extraction on single-rooted teeth including the incisors, first premolars, deciduous canines, and mandibular third molars. A surgical approach is indicated to extract canines, certain large incisors, and multirooted teeth and to retrieve root tips.

Feline gingivostomatitis: How to relieve the oral discomfort

Feline gingivostomatitis is probably the most frustrating oral disease seen in veterinary practice.