• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Macarthur Veterinary Group

Your family pet is in safe hands

  • Home
  • About
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Opening Hours
    • Testimonials
    • Our History
    • Our Team
    • Facilities & Equipment
    • In The Community
    • Sustainability
  • Our Team
    • Partners
    • Veterinarians
    • Specialists & Consultants
    • Nurses
    • Administration
    • Careers
  • Services
    • Preventative Health Care
      • Annual Health Checks
      • Vaccinations
      • Heartworm Protection
      • Flea, Tick & Worm Control
      • Microchipping
    • Medical and Surgical Services
      • Desexing
      • Surgery
      • Dentistry
      • Dermatology
      • Wildlife & Rescue
      • Senior Pets
    • Emergencies
    • Facilities & Equipment
      • Endoscopy
      • In-house Laboratory
      • Radiology
      • Surgical Suites
      • Ultrasonography
    • Puppy Preschool
    • Cat Boarding
    • Behaviour Consultations
    • Dietary Advice
    • Pet Insurance
  • Contact
    • Bradbury
    • Camden
    • Gregory Hills
    • Mount Annan
    • Review Us Online
  • Pet Care
    • Blog
    • Articles
    • Downloads
    • Email Newsletters
    • Preventative Health Care
    • Dog Care
    • Cat Care
    • Rabbit Care
    • Ferret Care
  • Work With Us
Dental Procedures
You are here: Home / Services / Dental Procedures

Cats, Dogs, Medical and Surgical Services · 10 December 2019

Dental Procedures

Regular examination, a good diet and home dental care are the fundamentals of good tooth and gum care. But sometimes this just isn’t enough. To give your pet’s teeth a clean start, they may need to be scaled and polished. Here is what’s involved.

Antibiotics will often be prescribed, to kill the plaque bacteria immediately before, during and after the clean. Anti-inflammatories and pain-relievers are also given where necessary.

  • Macarthur Vet Dental Procedures 1
    Dental work
  • Macarthur Vet Dental Procedures 2
    Dental equipment

Anaesthesia is required to properly clean and polish your pet’s teeth. Anaesthesia is very safe and all animals are examined and assessed first. All patients have a tube placed in their throat that administers medical oxygen and anaesthetic gases throughout the procedure. Older and high-risk patients are offered blood and urine tests and the use of alternative drugs to ensure their safety. Please talk to one of our vets for more details.

Scaling of the plaque from the tooth is done with an ultrasonic scaler that vibrates and breaks up the tartar without damage to the tooth. All tooth surfaces are carefully scaled, both inside and out.

After mechanical scaling is complete, hand scalers are used to complete the removal of plaque and tartar from below the gum line. This is termed root planing and subgingival curettage.

Polishing. After scaling, the tooth can still have a rough surface that allows the re-attachment of plaque. We have a variable speed dental polishing unit and use polishing paste that can restore a smooth healthy surface to the teeth, both above and below the gum line.

Extractions are often required where the tooth cannot be saved. Before any extractions are undertaken, a set of full mouth digital dental x-rays are generally taken to enable the surgeon to see exactly what is going on under the gum margin.  The tooth may be broken, the roots may be rotten, the enamel may be too badly eroded, or the gums, bones and other supporting structures may be too far gone to continue to support the tooth. We are equipped with professional equipment including high-speed dental cutting burrs, elevators, forceps and root picks for such procedures.

Occasionally, whether to extract a tooth or try to save it may even be influenced by the owner’s ability or willingness to keep the teeth and gums clean at home. Where brushing at home is not possible, it may be better to extract a tooth to ensure the health of the rest of the mouth.

Other procedures include endodontics, root canal treatments, etc. We can discuss these more advanced procedures and arrange a referral if necessary.

Dental records are kept concerning the procedures performed, any teeth extracted, and any other abnormalities that are noted at the time. A re-check will generally be scheduled in 3 – 12 months, depending on our examination findings.

If you have any other questions about tooth and gum care, please call us. Or make an appointment to bring your pet in, and we can examine their mouth and work out the most appropriate solution for your pet’s problem(s).


Back to Services


Related content

  • Dental Disease post
  • Brushing your pet’s teeth post
  • Rabbits as Pets article
  • Dental Disease in Dogs and Cats article
  • Canine Nutrition article

Topics: dental

Primary Sidebar

Latest News

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Update – 24th June 2020

24 June 2020

Throughout the Covid isolation period,  Macarthur Vet Group has been committed to providing you with the services you want and need for your pets.  Although the government has now eased …

Continue Reading

Meet Chisel the Puppy!

11 June 2020

We’d like to introduce everyone to Chisel!  Chisel is a gorgeous male Golden Retriever puppy.  Over the course of the next few months, we are going to give you a glimpse into his puppy life, …

Continue Reading

A Chisel Update and Desexing/Registration

25 March 2021

Chisel is now over 6 months old and we thought it was time to give you some updates on his care and development.  The vet visits aren’t needed as frequently once all the vaccines are done, so we …

Continue Reading

Covid-19 Update – 24th March 2021

24 March 2021

It has been 12 months since Australia shut its borders and went into strict lockdown, amidst the on-going worldwide Coronavirus pandemic.  Since then, Macarthur Vet Group has continued to provide …

Continue Reading

Puppy Mischief!

18 February 2021

In one of our earlier blogs titled “Puppy Proofing”, we discussed how Chisel’s owners erected some wooden fencing and mesh to protect their gardens from a mischievous puppy!  Well we’re here to …

Continue Reading

Quick Links

  • Emergency Information
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Opening Hours
  • Review Us Online
  • Careers & Work Experience

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Follow Us

Footer

Bradbury

75 Jacaranda Ave, Bradbury NSW 2560
Book an appointment Call 02 4627 1333

Camden

6 Ironbark Avenue, Camden
Book an appointment Call 02 4655 7664

Gregory Hills

2/13 Rodeo Road, Gregory Hills
Book an appointment Call 02 4648 3588

Mount Annan

Unit 17/2-4 Main St, Mount Annan
Book an appointment Call 02 4647 7722

Copyright © 2021 Macarthur Veterinary Group · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Website by Provet