Veterinary Dentistry CTVT: Chapter 34 DRG: 692-704

Student Objectives Recognize a patient’s overall dental health status Perform routine dental prophylaxis safely and efficiently Recognize, describe, and use common dental instruments Understand client education regarding home care Prepare to be the dental technician senior term Prepare for VTNE

Why is Veterinary Dentistry Important? Dental disease can lead to: Anorexia Chronic pain syndromes Organ disease American Veterinary Dental College Organization recognized by the American Board of Veterinary Specialties of the American Veterinary Medical Association Board Certified Veterinary Dentists

Veterinary Dental Organizations Opportunities for advanced training in dentistry: NAVTA responsible for governing and overseeing Veterinary Technician Specialists (VTS). Examples: Dentistry, anesthesia, emergency and critical care, internal medicine, behavior, zoo, etc. Academy of Veterinary Dental Technicians (AVDT) credentials LVTs as specialists in dentistry Requires 3000 hours experience then…secure a mentor, maintain case logs, write case reports, pass a specialty exam, and attend extra CE courses. See www.avdt.us for further info.

Why is it exciting?!

Legal Aspects The level of dental care that a veterinary technician may provide varies from state to state. The American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) considers it appropriate for the veterinarian to delegate maintenance dental care and certain dental tasks to LVTs. Texas Administrative Code: Chapter 573 Rule 19 (d) In dogs and cats, a licensed veterinary technician under direct or immediate supervision of a veterinarian may extract loose teeth or dental fragments with minimal periodontal attachments by hand and without the use of an elevator.

Dental Tasks for Veterinary Technicians Oral examination and charting Professional dental cleaning Treatment and preventative Taking and developing dental radiographs Taking impressions and making models Performing nonsurgical, subgingival root planning Client education Home care and prevention

History and Extraoral Examination Dental procedures require general anesthesia Before animal is anesthetized: Obtain a proper history Ask about general medical info, medications, nutrition/treats, toys, etc. Perform an extraoral exam Palpate muscles of the face Retropulse the eyelids Look for symmetric depth and firmness Look for ocular and nasal discharge Palpate mandibular salivary glands Palpate submandibular lymph nodes

Intraoral Examination- Awake The entire mouth should be evaluated, however we do only a quick exam while awake: Access patient’s occlusion Check for retained deciduous teeth or missing teeth Evaluate overall appearance of soft tissue Goal is to inform owner of the procedure their pet needs and give an estimate of cost.

Intraoral Examination- Anesthetized Once anesthetized, a more thorough exam can be done: 1. Soft tissue Mucosa- should be pink or pigmented; no lesions seen Pharynx- evaluate for inflammation/neoplasia/lesions Tongue- check for lesions

Know What’s Normal! Hard palate- covered in ________ Examine closely in _______________ breeds ________ ________ - bump that is midline, caudal to maxillary incisors Two salivary ducts on quadrants 1 &2 Bumps buccal to maxillary 4th PM and 1st M

Intraoral Examination- Anesthetized 2. Teeth Number, fractures, mobility, etc 3. Periodontium Inflammation, periodontal pockets, bone loss, etc. *Radiographs are often necessary to access the complete oral health status

The Periodontum The periodontum is the area that surrounds the tooth. Purpose: to attach the tooth to the jaw and provide support, & resistance to normal, functional forces.

The Periodontum 1. Gingiva = gum tissue surrounding teeth Healthy gingiva can be pink or pigmented The margin lies closely against the crown of the tooth The gingival _________ is the shallow groove between the tooth and the gingiva. Normal depth is _______ in canines; up to ______ in felines Called a ____________ _________ when deeper.

The Periodontium 2. Cementum is a bone-like tissue that covers the root surface. It is stronger than bone but not as strong as enamel. It is capable of repairing itself. 3. Alveolar bone forms the tooth socket. Blood vessels and nerves run through the alveolar bone 4. Periodontal __________ attaches cementum to the alveolar bone.