Download Applied Dentistry for the Veterinary Technician

Veterinary Dentistry
CTVT: Chapter 34
DRG: 692-704
Objectives
 Recognize a patient’s overall dental health status
 Perform routine dental prophylaxis safely and
efficiently

Recognize, describe, and use common dental instruments
 Understand client education regarding home care
Why is Veterinary Dentistry Important?
 Dental disease can lead to:
 Anorexia
 Chronic pain syndromes
 Organ disease
 American Veterinary Dental College
 Organization recognized by the American Board of Veterinary
Specialties of the American Veterinary Medical Association

Board Certified Veterinary Dentist
Veterinary Dental Organizations
Opportunities for advanced training in dentistry:
 NAVTA responsible for governing and overseeing
Veterinary Technician Specialists (VTS).

Examples: Dentistry, anesthesia, emergency and critical
care, internal medicine, behavior, zoo, etc.
 Academy of Veterinary Dental Technicians
(AVDT) credentials LVTs as specialists in dentistry


Requires 3000 hours experience then…secure a mentor,
maintain case logs, write case reports, pass a specialty
exam, and attend extra CE courses.
See www.avdt.us for further info.
Why is it exciting?!
Ethical and Legal Aspects
 The level of dental care that a veterinary technician may
provide varies from state to state.
 The American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) considers it
appropriate for the veterinarian to delegate maintenance
dental care and certain dental tasks to LVTs.
Dental Tasks for Veterinary Technicians
 Oral examination and charting
 Professional dental cleaning “Dental prophylaxis”
 Taking and developing dental radiographs
 Taking impressions and making models
 Performing nonsurgical, subgingival root planning
 Client education
*Procedures performed by veterinary technicians must not
result in alterations in the shape, structure, or
positional location of teeth in the dental arch.
History and Extraoral Examination
 Dental procedures require general anesthesia
 Before animal is anesthetized:
 Obtain a proper history
 Ask about general medical info, medications, nutrition/treats,
toys, etc.
 Perform an extraoral exam
 Palpate muscles of the face
 Retropulse the eyelids




Look for symmetric depth and firmness
Look for ocular and nasal discharge
Palpate mandibular salivary glands
Palpate submandibular lymph nodes
Intraoral Examination- Awake
 The entire mouth should be evaluated, however we
do only a quick exam while awake:



Access patient’s occlusion
Check for retained deciduous teeth or missing teeth
Evaluate overall appearance of soft tissue
 Goal is to inform owner of the
procedure their pet needs and give
an estimate of cost.
Intraoral Examination- Anesthetized
 Once anesthetized, a more thorough exam can be done:
1. Soft tissue

Mucosa- should be pink or pigmented; no lesions seen

Pharynx- evaluate for inflammation/neoplasia/lesions

Tongue- chewing lesions present?
Know What’s Normal!
 Hard palate- covered in ________
 Examine closely in _______________ breeds
 ________ ________ - bump that
is midline, caudal to maxillary incisors
 Two salivary ducts on quadrants 1 &2
 Bumps buccal to maxillary 4th PM and 1st M
Intraoral Examination- Anesthetized
2. Teeth

Number, fractures, mobility, etc
3. Periodontium

Inflammation, periodontal
pockets, bone loss, etc.
*Radiographs are often necessary
to access the oral health status
The Periodontum
 The periodontum is the area that surrounds the
tooth.

Purpose: to attach the tooth to the jaw and provide support, &
resistance to normal, functional forces.
It includes:
Gingiva
 Periodontal ligament
 Cementum
 Alveolar bone

The Periodontum
 Gingiva = gum tissue surrounding teeth
 Healthy gingiva can be pink or pigmented
 The margin lies closely against the crown of the tooth
 Gingival _________ is the shallow groove
between the tooth and the gingiva.


Normal depth is 0-3 mm in canines; up to 1 mm in felines
Called a _________________ when deeper.
The Periodontium
 Cementum is a bone-like
tissue that covers the root
surface.

It is stronger than bone but not as
strong as enamel.

It is capable of repairing
itself.
 Alveolar bone forms the
tooth socket.


Blood vessels and nerves run
through the alveolar bone
Periodontal ___________
attaches cementum to the
alveolar bone.