Germantown Animal Hospital provides comprehensive dental surgery services for cats and dogs in Cordova and Memphis.
What is dental surgery for pets?
Dental surgery at our hospital is any surgery related to the oral cavity of a dog or cat. It usually involves the removal of growths, or the repair of oral defects or injuries.
Why does my pet need dental surgery?
Dental surgery for cats and dogs may be recommended for a number of reasons. For instance, there may be a specific lesion in the mouth which is causing pain or infection, or tartar that may have accumulated and needs to be removed to prevent periodontal (gum) disease.
Common Dental Surgery Procedures
- Exodontia: Tooth extraction
- Mandibular and maxillary fracture repair: Jaw fracture repair
- Neoplasia: Cancer surgical treatment, also called surgical oncology.
- Oronasal and oroantral defect repair: Treatments for severe pet periodontal disease.
- Palate defect repair: For cleft lip and palate or trauma repair
Dental Surgery FAQs
- Why does my pet need to go under anesthesia for dental work?
Because dogs and cats do not understand what is happening during a dental procedure, their natural instinct is to struggle, or even bite. For this reason, in order for the vet to appropriately diagnose and treat your pet’s oral disease, sedation or general anesthesia are usually required.
The administration of pain medication before, during and after your pet’s surgery can significantly reduce the pain and anxiety associated with the procedure.
- My dog has a fractured tooth, but doesn't seem to be bothered by it. Do we need to have it treated?
Yes, particularly if the internal tooth or pulp is involved. The pulp contains the blood vessels and nerves of the tooth, and when this is exposed, it can be very painful, and it can become infected. Often, the outward symptoms (facial swelling) are often not apparent until very late in the course of the infection.
- Why does my pet need a tooth extraction? Aren’t there less invasive treatment options?
At face value, extraction may seem drastic, since we often think of our pets' dental treatment in context of our own dental experiences. However, when detected in the late stages, periodontal disease has usually progressed to the point where significant amounts of bone and soft tissue have been lost, making the options for saving teeth extremely limited.
Tooth extraction is often the only course of action to restore oral health.
- What causes a dog to break its teeth?
Dogs most often break teeth as a result of chewing on objects that are too hard, like bones, ice cubes, or hard toys. To prevent this, monitor your dog’s chewing and provide softer alternatives for them to chew on.
- Is dental treatment painful afterward?
Tooth extraction can be painful for a pet, but we do everything we can to keep your pet as comfortable as possible before, during, and after any dental surgery. We provide pain medicine before, during, and after surgery as necessary.