06 Sep What is a Veterinary Oral Surgeon?
To justifiably use the title “Veterinary Dentist,” a veterinarian must be board-certified by the American Veterinary Dental College. This is a rigorous program over 3-4 years that requires an immense amount of case work, studying, publishing journal articles, passing one of the more demanding specialty examinations in the veterinary profession. Once completed a veterinarian becomes Diplomate of the American Veterinary Dental College and can place DAVDC as part of the their signature.
Did you know that all veterinary dentists are also oral surgeons? Going through the extensive certification process is impossible without becoming proficient in veterinary oral surgery.
What does oral surgery entail? What procedures in pets fall under this category of veterinary dental disciplines?
1. Surgical Extractions
Sadly, most veterinarians, to this day, are still not getting adequate surgical training while they are in veterinary college. Some colleges still do not have a board-certified veterinary dentist on their full-time faculty. Surgical extractions are easily the most common procedure performed by a veterinary dentist, and it is critical that they be performed properly. This starts with extensive training and builds on needed equipment, dental imaging (dental radiographs and/or cone beam computed tomography), and a well-trained staff. Veterinary dentists will also be able to perform these surgeries quickly and efficiently. This means that their patients will most often spend less time under anesthesia.
For general practice veterinarians it is critical that they receive proper training while in veterinary school, but also beyond their graduation. Animal Dental Care and Oral Surgery is proud to be a leading provider of monthly veterinary dental continuing education courses in Colorado Springs. Our courses provide general practice veterinarians and veterinary technicians with detailed training by board-certified veterinary dentists, AVDC dental residents, certified veterinary technicians (CVT), and CVTs who are also Veterinary Trained Specialists (VTS) who are certified in dentistry. It is truly a team effort we are immensely proud of. General practice veterinarians and their team members can register for our monthly courses at www.wellpets.com
2. Oral Tumor Surgery
Unfortunately, oral cancer is a frequent presenting problem to veterinary dentists, who are certainly the most qualified professionals to address this common problem. This starts with appropriate diagnostic steps that include incisional biopsies and diagnostic imaging with cone beam or conventional computed tomography. We were the first veterinary clinic in the state of Colorado with cone beam CT technology. Incisional biopsies provide a diagnosis prior to determining a definitive surgical plan. This allows the veterinary dentist/oral surgeon to decide on necessary surgical margins and follow up care.
Definitive surgical planning most often involves procedures referred to as mandibulectomies and maxillectomies. These procedures may be conservative or radical. Most veterinary dentists who perform these procedures will often utilize a surgical piezotome device that uses ultrasonic energy to cut through bone. Piezotome technology allows the oral surgeon to make a more precise cut through bone than dental burs or oscillating surgical saws. It has also been reported that human oral surgery that patients who have had procedures performed with a piezotome have less post-operative pain when compared to other devices.
It is critical that all tooth roots involved with the surgery site be completely removed at the time of surgery. Leaving roots in place will only serve as a source of inflammation and pain beyond recovery for these patients. Veterinary dentists are best equipped to remove these roots. The most important thing to remember is that veterinary oral surgeons only perform these procedures if they can give a pet owner a meaningful prognosis and return a dog or cat to a very good quality of life that is tumor free. After recovering from the procedure, a veterinary dentist/oral surgeon will often refer to pet owner to a veterinary oncologist for additional treatment option considerations.
Trauma Repair
Oromaxillofacial trauma is a common presenting issue to veterinary dentists. Jaw fractures may occur from bites from other animals, motor vehicle accidents and falls from heights. Some cases due not have fractures of the mandibular or maxillary bones, but still have extensive soft tissue trauma.
Jaw fractures are often treated with acrylic splinting, interdental wiring or bone mini-plating. The doctors at Animal Dental Care and Oral Surgery in Colorado Springs have had extensive training in all facets of fracture repair and are now obtaining training with plastic absorbable plates. We will always stay on the cutting edge of trauma repair techniques.
Congenital Defect Repairs
Veterinary dentists often see puppies and kittens that have congenital defects, such as cleft palates. Sometimes these defects do not require surgery, but most do and can be performed in the first year of life.
Board-Certified Veterinary Oral Surgeon
The doctors and staff at Animal Dental Care and Oral Surgery in Colorado Springs are committed to be proficient in all aspects of oral surgery for our patients. If you have any questions about your pet’s oral health needs, please reach out to us at: (719)536-9949.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (9/6/2024) Image by Joanna Reichert from Pixabay
