The Bite of Bad Choices: Educate Clients so They Don't Make Poor Dental Care Decisions

摘要

SOME PET OWNERS MAY THINK THAT NONANESTHETIC DENTISTRY (NAD) sounds like a good thing. But without a full examination of a pet's mouth under anesthesia, the procedure is much like cleaning up the exterior of a vehicle while ignoring what's under the hood. And the consequences can be tragic."Once I was presented a Cavalier King Charles spaniel champion show dog who had his teeth 'cleaned' every six months," explained Daniel T. Carmichael, DVM, DAVDC, of the AAHA-accredited referral practice Veterinary Medical Center of Long Island. "At fiveyears of age, he was brought to me for treatment because one of his incisor teeth had fallen out. An examination and dentalradiographs obtained under general anesthesia showed severe (end-stage) periodontal disease with more than 20 teeth requiring extraction.