We are excited to announce that as of June, at our Greensborough practice, we are able to provide our patients with dental x/rays.
Dental radiology is quickly becoming the standard of care in Veterinary disntistry and as a hospital we need to be able to offer this gold standard of treatment. So now we can!
What does this mean for our patients?
Periodontal disease is the most common condition. We now have a digital dental x-ray machine which is the gold standard of treatment in animal dentistry. With this tool we can see what is happening below the gum line, over 2/3’s of a tooth is below the gum line and not visible. Digital radiography is indicated for the following
Periodontal disease is the most common condition we see in practice. 80-85% of dogs and cats over 3 years of age have some form of dental disease that requires treatment.
Dental radiology is a crucial tool in diagnosis, treatment planning and monitoring response to treatment. Without this tool we are making an assertion of what is happening below the gum line and operating blind.
Over 2/3’s of a tooth is below the gum line and not visible.
The indications for x/ray are:
Periodontal disease: to show elucidate pockets, in cats & toy breed dogs to avoid iatrogenic fractures during extraction.
Tooth Resorption: Resorption makes extraction very difficult, if roots have not been resorbed a complete extraction must be performed and the x/ray gives a guide.
Endodontic Disease: The most common is camouflaged endodontic disease where the dentin but not the pulp is exposed. These painful infections cannot be diagnosed without dental radiographs.
Missing crown: Is the whole tooth missing or is there a retained root still present causing infection.
Other indications: To confirm diagnosis of jaw fractures, oral growths/masses, investigate sources of oral pain, extraction of deciduous teeth to determine root structure and pre/post extraction x/rays.
The long term advantage of dental radiography is to reduce the need for repeat dental procedures as an animal ages, it is a fast diagnostic tool which helps provide every animal a healthy, pain free mouth. We can all relate to dental pain and wouldn’t want to put our furry family through this unnecessarily.
Keep in mind, at our Greensborough and Rosanna Veterinary Clinics we offer free dental checks all year round.
