Dental Care @ PAWS Veterinary Clinic (with Dr. Alberto Schlicht)
Our mission is to address the dental needs of your pet in a caring, professional and compassionate environment while maintaining clear and prompt communication with you before, during and after your pets dental treatment.
Advanced Veterinary Dentistry
Training –
Dr. Alberto has a special interest in Veterinary Dentistry – making it the focus of his practice and professional development. Dr. Alberto attends veterinary dental conferences, workshops and hands-on training (“wet labs”) every year to stay informed of new developments, the most current information and best techniques available for your pet.
Equipment –
At PAWS we use the best equipment available.
We use a human piezo-electric ultrasonic dental scaler that allows us to clean teeth thoroughly and efficiently.
We use a veterinary dental unit with high speed hand-piece (for drilling, cutting, and sectioning) and low speed hand-piece (polishing) which allow us to perform all manners of dental care – from advanced surgical dental procedures to teeth scaling and polishing – in a fast, efficient and safe manner.
In addition to our dental unit we have invested in an extensive collection of manual dental equipment (periodontal explorer, scalers, curettes, elevators, luxators, forceps, etc) to accomplish our dental procedures in the least traumatic manner – ensuring fast healing and reducing post-operative pain and discomfort for all patients.
Anesthesia –
Anesthesia is an area of concern for most pet owners. We want to assure you that at PAWS we take all necessary safety measures for anesthetic procedures. Prior to your pets dentistry we conduct a complete physical examination, do pre-surgical blood work, review prior medical history and consider their level of stress in order to design a specific and individual anesthetic protocol according to age and condition.
We use a gentle sedative to reduce stress before the anesthesia is performed. We keep all of our patients on IV fluids during and after the procedure. Anesthesia is maintained using fast acting inhalant gas (Isoflurane) – this means fast effect and fast recovery after stopping the gas flow.
Multi-modal analgesia is provided to all patients to keep pain under control – for example, using “dental blocks“ (freezing) – just like in human dentistry. Pain control and prevention is very important in order to keep a lower plane of anesthesia – therefore maintaining a good blood pressure, heart rate and strength, breathing rate, body temperature and resulting in faster recovery once the anesthesia is ended.
We use state-of-the-art monitoring equipment during all procedures – including doppler blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and temperature recording. In addition to the equipment, we have a dedicated Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) next to the patient monitoring all vital signs every 5 minutes throughout the whole procedure – ensuring your pet is as safe and comfortable as possible at all times.
We strive to maintain a proper body temperature and to keep your pet comfortable during anesthesia and recovery using an approved veterinary warming system (Hot Dog Patient Warming- trade mark). In addition, our recovery kennels are the Midmark FearFree cerified unit that includes a warming system for pre and post op care.
Your pet’s safety and comfort are paramount to us.
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Digital Intraoral Radiographs –
We perform full mouth digital intraoral X-rays (usually 8 to 10 in a cat, and up to 24 in a very large dog) to ensure that the tissue under the gum line (the tooth roots and the bone supporting the teeth) is healthy as well as after each tooth extraction.
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Extractions –
Extractions are another area of stress and concern for pet owners. When extractions are necessary, we perform surgical extractions that result in less trauma and faster healing. We always take post-extraction intraoral X-rays to assure no complications are present (retained root tips, fractures, etc) and then close the extraction site with absorbable sutures (which will dissolve on their own).
Analgesia and local blocks (freezing) are used with all extractions.
Before starting any procedure we will call you and explain in detail the problem(s) in your pet’s mouth and will ask you to authorize us to proceed accordingly (informed consent).
ALL Dental Procedures are performed by a Veterinarian –
Dr. Alberto performs all aspects of the dental work for your pet here at PAWS. He personally does the oral assessment, takes and evaluates the oral x-rays, performs all dental procedures and surgical extractions and finally finishes with the scaling and polishing of the healthy teeth.
Oral Hygiene Program – preventing periodontal (gum) disease –
We will work with you to improve dental care at home. Pets should have their teeth brushed daily to maximize the prevention of gum disease whenever possible. Plaque is a biofilm (“slimy” film) that lives in the mouth. The bacteria in plaque accumulates on the tooth surface and causes inflammation of the gums (gingivitis, bleeding gums) . Plaque then hardens and becomes tartar. Daily brushing prevents both conditions: gingivitis and tartar. Easier said than done, right?
Following your pet’s dental procedure our team will schedule a dental recheck and education appointment. We provide a “goody bag” of tools and training to help you manage your pet’s dental care at home.
T.L.C. –
Dr. Alberto and the staff at PAWS are passionate about their patients and their teeth!
We work with you, as a team, to provide quality dental care for your pet.
