Max, a 9 year old Havanese Terrier, was seen for his annual exam. The veterinarian noted that Max had some tartar buildup on his teeth, but what was worse than the tartar was Max’s gingivitis and gingival erosion (inflammation and receding of the gums.) Max was even having some trouble eating because his mouth was painful. His owner mentioned that adding water to soften the food helped somewhat. Since Max was obviously in pain and it was affecting his ability to eat, it was recommended that Max have a dental exam, scaling and polishing.
Mild tartar buildup, gingivitis, gingival erosion.
Max’s treatment consisted of the following:
1) Scale and polish, stage 1: “Stage 1” indicates early periodontitis (inflammation of gums and supporting structures of the teeth.)
2) Multiple tooth extractions (5 teeth)
3) Application of OraVet gel
OraVet Gel helps prevent plaque accumulation in both cats and dogs. The OraVet gel provides a protective coating on the pet’s teeth that decreases plaque accumulation at the gingival margin and doesn’t disappear after tooth brushing or eating hard food. The gel is odorless, tasteless, and invisible once applied. The veterinarian or technician applies the gel along the marginal gingiva of clean, dry teeth while the animal is anesthetized during a dental cleaning.
Itemized procedures:
Anesthesia $125
IV catheter placement $40
Intravenous fluids $50
Fluid pump $25
Scale and polish, stage 1 $75
Tooth extraction, 3-root elevated (3 teeth) $150
Tooth extraction, 2-root (1 tooth) $40
Tooth extraction, single root (1 tooth) $25
Ampicillin (antibiotic) injection, qty 0.45 $12.70
OraVet gel application $35
Carprofen 25mg tablet, qty 5 (analgesic/pain relief take-home) $12.50
TOTAL COST: $590.00
Max’s story is shared with permission from his owner.
This story was posted by Suzanne Cannon on behalf of Jarrettsville Veterinary Center.
Max did very well! His owner reports that he is more comfortable and willing to eat now, thanks to the dental scaling and polishing, as well as the extraction of multiple diseased teeth.
