!
60 Commerce St. Williston, VT
(802)-860-2287
YOUR CAT’S ORAL HEALTH
Periodic teeth cleaning and at-home dental care provide great overall health benefits for your cat. We assess
your cat’s oral health at each visit and routinely recommend a comprehensive 12-step cleaning to prevent
dental disease expense in the future, the way routine oil changes help prevent more costly engine repairs.
Preventative Safeguard cleanings let us help you keep your cat as healthy as possible.
We have briefly outlined of our 12-step Safeguard cleaning below and encourage you to ask any questions you
have.
1. Oral Examination on the Awake Cat: During a routine physical exam, there is a limit to what we can see.
For example, 40% of bone loss due to disease can only be seen with dental radiographs (x-rays). Tartar
buildup and gingivitis, however, are often visible.
2. Oral Examination on an Anesthetized Cat: While your cat is under general anesthesia we examine each
tooth for looseness, fractures, and disease.
*Safe anesthesia is the number one concern for both pet owners and medical professionals alike. Be
assured that although every anesthetic procedure carries a risk to your cat, we use the best available
procedures and monitoring equipment before, during, and after your cat’s procedure. Please feel free to
discuss any questions or concerns about anesthesia with our staff.
3. Supragingival Scaling removes plaque and tartar from the tooth
surface above the gum line with the use of an ultrasonic scaler
and hand instruments (see picture to right).
4. Subgingival Scaling removes the tartar not visible to the eye that
causes pain, inflammation, and bone loss. This step is critical to
excellent dental care as gum disease is just as painful for cats as
it is for humans. Anesthesia is necessary for removing the
diseased tissue debris from below the gum line.
5. Charting includes recording missing, loose, fractured, and discolored
teeth as well as gum recession, periodontal pockets, resorptive lesions,
and other significant findings.
6. Polishing with a fine grit toothpaste helps smooth any minor defects on
the tooth surface. This is the only way to prevent tartar from immediately
re-establishing. “Flicking” tartar off during an awake exam forgoes this
crucial step and exposes the gums to bleeding and bacteria. Our
toothpaste also contains fluoride, which helps protect the enamel and
maintain tooth strength.
7. Irrigation rinses the mouth of diseased tissue and plaque.
8. Diagnostics: Because our patients cannot tell us if their teeth hurt, we recommend full-mouth x-rays for
every cat with every cleaning to look for root decay and painful resorptive lesions (the cat equivalent of
cavities).
Normal, healthy lower jaw
Roots well-defined
Unhealthy, resorptive lesion
Roots decayed
9. Advanced Therapy may be necessary to treat any problems noted during the dental procedure. Most
advanced therapy includes oral surgery.
*Advanced therapy goes beyond our standard Safeguard procedure and requires extra time and expertise. It
is imperative that we are able to reach you while your cat is under anesthesia in case we need to update
you on your cat’s condition and discuss a treatment plan and cost.
10. Oravet is applied at the end of every cleaning. This waxy sealant protects against plaque buildup for up to
two weeks.
11. Discharge Information: At the time of discharge, we will discuss the dental care performed, make followup recommendations, and dispense any necessary medications. Because you as the pet owner are a vital
part of our dental team, the visit is not complete until we discuss this information with you.
Daily at-home care is the single most important thing you can do to maintain your cat’s oral health. As
plaque is constantly made and deposited in the mouth, daily brushing will dramatically reduce the number
of professional cleanings your cat will need in a lifetime. If your cat has other dental health concerns, we
may also recommend adding a special diet, vitamin supplement, and/or at-home sealants to your routine.
12. Follow-Up Visits are an important part of assessing your cat’s progress. The need for follow-up visits will
depend on the severity of disease and your ability to provide at-home care.
For more information, or to watch a video of an actual dental cleaning, visit
www.affectionatelycats.com/services