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Pictured here is a dog with
heavy dental calculus and plaque. Buildups lead to mouth
infection and even absorption of bacteria and toxins into
the circulation. Absorbed products may damage remote organs
like the kidneys and heart, leading to even more serious
disease.
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Dental plaque may produce caustic
residues which can become so irritating that painful ulcers
(black arrows) form on the adjacent oral tissue.
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Treatment consists of a multi-staged
procedure, performed with the animal under general anesthesia.
The first step is dental scaling of accumulated calculus
and plaque. Here these materials are removed using an ultrasonic
scaler.
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Often harmful adhered debris
must be removed from below the gum line by using instruments
to curette the deep soft tissue adjacent to the tooth, or
to plane the deep root of the tooth itself.
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Depth of pockets around diseased
teeth are measured to prognose degree of expected problems,
or to recommend additional oral health treatment to limit
future damage or minimize reoccurrence.
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The final step, polishing and
rinsing, smoothes the tooth surface to delay reoccurrence
and helps to flush harmful material from below the gum line.
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Following
the treatment the teeth are clean and smooth, harmful plaque
and calculus have been removed, and bacteria and their products
have been flushed away. Sometimes antibiotics will be recommended
to facilitate healing of dental pockets and abscesses.
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