At Animal Dental Care & Oral Surgery we offer extensive pet oral surgery services including:
- Surgical dental extractions
- Jaw fracture fixation
- Palatal and oronasal defect repair
- Oral tumor removal
- Dislocated tooth treatment.
Jaw Fractures
Fractures of the upper and lower jaws are fairly common in dogs or cats. Trauma is commonly involved, but dental disease can play a role as well. Periodontal disease around certain teeth in the lower jaw can weaken the bone dramatically, allowing the bone to fracture more easily.
When a fracture occurs, multiple options exist for treatment. Many fractures of the upper and lower jaws are amenable to treatment with an intra-oral splint fabricated with wire and acrylic. The wire is placed around the teeth (not in the bone) and then strengthened with the addition of a cold-cure acrylic material. The splint is both strong and light. It also allows for normal eating during healing, avoids the trauma of placing wires and screws into the bone, and is superior for maintaining the normal relationship between the jaw bones during healing. In other words, the jaws stay lined up correctly during healing. In most cases, the splint is removed in 4 weeks.
Oral Tumors
Oral tumors (growths) are very common in dogs and cats. These pet oral growths can be benign or malignant (cancerous). In many cases pet oral tumors are treatable with good long-term results. Correct treatment depends on obtaining a small biopsy sample to identify the particular tumor type, determining if the tumor has spread to the lungs or lymph nodes, and obtaining detailed dental radiographs to show how far the tumor has spread locally. After this information is gathered, a detailed treatment plan can be formulated. As part of training for board certification, veterinary dentists receive extensive education in treating oral tumors. We have performed many oral surgical procedures for the treatment of oral tumors.
