SMALL ANIMAL DENTISTRY

Routine and Advanced Dental Services for Dogs and Cats

Booking an Appointment is Easy Call (865) 983-3155 (M-F 8a-5:30p, Sat. till noon)!

Pets, like people, need healthy mouths. If your dog or cat has bad breath, it may be much more than just dirty teeth. There may be a serious underlying issue that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

Dogs in particular tend not to show periodontal pain. They need to be examined yearly starting ages 2-4 (small breeds) or ages 4-6 (large breeds).

My dog Coco had two “dead teeth” that I was completely unaware of … and I check her teeth carefully every day! Thank goodness the folks at Countryside alerted me to her condition during our last visit.

Rip Noel

ROUTINE PROCEDURES

Oral examinations – Oral hygiene plays an important role in the overall health of any animal. Oral health can affect the digestive system, kidney and liver function, and even heart health. The veterinarian can evaluate tooth and gum health, alignment of the bite, and check for abnormalities such as tumors, broken teeth or diseases.

Cleaning – Cleaning is performed under general anesthesia on our canine and feline patients and includes full mouth digital dental radiographs (described under Advanced Procedures below). First, we evaluate and chart the mouth thoroughly, then clean the teeth with an ultrasonic instrument or by hand-scaling. Afterwards, we polish the teeth and apply a fluoride treatment.

The Countryside Difference

Each patient receiving a dental cleaning receives blood work. We want to be sure the anesthetic will not adversely affect the animal’s vital organs (heart, liver, etc.). Younger patients receive a comprehensive blood panel, while geriatric patients receive a complete blood count and a more extensive panel, as well as intra-operative IV fluids.

ADVANCED PROCEDURES

Digital dental radiographs – 2/3 of the mouth is found below the gums and cannot be evaluated in a regular exam. We take full mouth radiographs under general anesthesia to screen for missing teeth, abscesses, periodontal disease, fractures and tumors. These high-quality digital radiographs can be evaluated during your visit and the majority of problems found can be corrected in-clinic. We also offer referrals to outside specialists for particularly complicated procedures.

Extractions – We perform simple and complicated surgical extractions, from retained deciduous (“baby”) teeth to the large premolars and molars in adult patients.

The Countryside Difference

We offer many advanced services that you may not find elsewhere:

Bone grafting for advanced periodontal disease to preserve the tooth instead of extracting it.

Bonding for a tooth that is fractured but not into the pulp. The bonding sealant preserves the tooth from extraction and adds a protective layer to reduce further damage.

Gingivectomy and gingivoplasty for dogs whose gums have grown too rapidly (gingival hyperplasia). This procedure reduces and reshapes the gingiva, and reduces the likelihood of contracting periodontal disease.

Full treatment for periodontal disease when digital radiographs reveal the extent of disease.

DENTISTRY FOR FELINE PATIENTS

Cats’ mouths need tender loving care, too! We offer the same broad selection of services for feline patients as are available for canine patients.

Full dental radiographs are particularly important in feline patients due to a higher risk of resorptive disease that is often undetectable solely by an oral exam. This disease process is painful and early treatment is the best option.

Cats can also develop gingival stomatitis: a hypersensitivity to tartar on teeth which leads to ulcers adjacent to the teeth. Treatment includes either full mouth extractions, or extraction of teeth adjacent to ulcers.

BRUSHING YOUR PET’S TEETH

Keeping your pet’s teeth clean is so important!

It not only helps combat one of the leading diseases in pets – periodontal disease – but can prevent a host of other health problems that stem from gum disease including damage to other organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys, and/or lead to other serious health problems. We can supply you with special toothpaste formulated specially for your pet’s taste buds and also help instruct you on the proper application.