Thursday, February 5, 2015

The Importance of Dental Radiographs: Behr's Story

Name: Behr
Breed: Mini Schnauzer
Age: 5 years, 8 months
At his first visit with us, it was noted in Behr's chart that he had severe periodontal disease and heavy tartar on his teeth. It was also noted that the doctor was unable to complete the full oral exam due to Behr being wiggly. 
A few weeks later, Behr came in for a dental procedure under general anesthesia. As you can see from this photo on the right, after the teeth were cleaned using dental tools, they look pretty clean. It almost looks like we're ready to polish the teeth and wake Behr! However, this was not the case.

We recommend full-mouth radiographs (x-rays) with every dental procedure at LAH. This allows us a complete view of the inside of your pet's mouth and shows any bone-loss or periodontal disease that is not evident by sight alone. Once the doctor had reviewed Behr's dental radiographs, it was apparent that there was a lot of bone loss and disease in Behr's mouth. In the end 28 teeth were extracted. 

Just like every pet, each dental procedure is unique. Dental radiographs help us find the root of your pet's dental problems, be it bone-loss or infection.


At Lombard Animal Hospital, in Portland, Oregon we strive to increase the quality of life for pets and their people through 
education, nutrition and wellness!
Give us a call -- We'd love to see you and your pets!
503.285.2337 | wecare@lombardanimalhospital.com | www.lombardanimalhospital.com