Dental X-Rays

[NeylasMom]

So I am getting 2 different stories. My vet now does dental x-rays and insists they do them beforehand to determine if extractions are needed. I have no idea whether they do this using a normal x-ray machine or they have some special machine for dental x-rays (the way she talked about how they are "now" doing them makes me think the latter).

 

However, Dr. Radcliffe's office told me that they can do them if I request them, but that they really need to see the teeth themselves once the dog is under to determine if any teeth need to be removed.

 

To me, the x-rays make sense. That's what dentists do to confirm teeth are decaying, and the decay is generally not on the outside of the tooth so presumably an x-ray would show it better. But, I don't want to pay unnecessarily for them if they're not needed.

 

I'm also just having trouble deciding where to take Zuri. My vet is outrageously priced and she wasn't really on board with a few of OSU's suggestions for Zuri's dental , amely Amicar if extractions are needed - we suspect one tooth may have to come out - and Xanax or Valium beforehand because Zuri has had overheating issues in the past and OSU feels that relaxing his muscles beforehand using a medication like that may help (note that the overheating was not anesthesia related - he's never been anesthetized before). Dr. Radcliffe however is more than willing to use both and can even order the Amicar to have it on hand at the vet's office. So I was leaning heavily toward Dr. R (also because he has a team working on the dental so the dog doesn't have to be under as long and uses a supposedly better anesthesia), but I want to understand the x-ray issue so at the very least I know whether to request them or not.

 

Thanks!

[MP_the4pack]

I took Diamond to my vets several times for a dental. I couldn't understand why several of her teeth were kept in when you could clearly see the roots. They told me the teeth weren't loose.

I ended up taking her to a canine dentist. Who uses xrays first. Diamond lost 23 teeth.

 

But she was much happier and never had any dental issues again. However, I felt that more teeth than necessary were removed, based on the xrays. And BOY was she expensive

[KF_in_Georgia]

Silver had two teeth pulled when her teeth were cleaned in March. I'm not sure what x-rays would have shown, but both teeth were loose and wobbly and showing roots.

 

I don't think the x-rays are necessary unless you're worrying about mouth pain and a potentially broken tooth.

 

 

See the little gap at the bottom front?

[Guest Fasave]

I am taking my pup to a veterinary dentist on Friday for many of the reason sited above. He's only four but has never had a dental. I lost a pup years ago to a host of medical issues (IBD, PLE, PLN). I adopted him at 6 and my vet did his first dental where he lost 18 teeth. My vet stated he would have taken more but he wasn't comfortable doing so. He didn't do x-rays. I didn't know at the time there where veterinary dentists. I have no idea if bad teeth and all his issues were related but looking back, I wish they had pulled all his teeth in that first dental as it couldn't have helped his conditions. I swore if I got a "do over" later in life, I would cut directly to a dentist who would take x-rays and know what to look for and deal with it. I now have a 4 yo and a chance at that do-over. The dentist is at a top animal hospital with all the latest equipment and specialists on site. They see many greyhounds. It will cost more but I believe that cost will only be in the short run as I will hopefully be providing him a healthier life. My vet has since updated his practice and may be doing x-rays now but I still want a specialist who knows what to look for and will be able to deal with whatever they find. Not sure if this helps you make a decision but thought I would share my thoughts.

[NeylasMom]

Oh great, I see there are several specialty dental hospitals in my area. Things are getting even more expensive, not less.

[cleptogrey]

it sounds like your vet has a new toy to pay for. if it's more than a simple extraction then a vet. dentist might be the way to go. a good friend's dog's tooth broke at the gumline, that needed surgery for removal- she went to a vet/dentist.

 

(i can barely afford dental xrays for myself , cleaning and xrays has gone up to $150+, i'm still paying off my last root canal, thank d-g they saved the crown)

[GeorgeofNE]

A simple dental around here is at least $400. No way I'm also paying for x-rays!

 

Actually, George had an issue with the anesthesia when I had his dental done, and we haven't done once since, and even the vet says his teeth are great.

 

I don't even like paying for x-rays for myself!

[Hubcitypam]

No x-rays at my vet.

Poodle went in last month for an abcess and lost 4 teeth including a canine. Not bad considering he's 14. The bill was just under $500 but the cost per tooth was $10. A lot of the rest involved age related bloodwork, fluids which would have applied to one tooth being pulled. I know for a fact I could have one of my own teeth pulled for way less than $450.

[NeylasMom]

Perhaps I should mention, I don't recall the x-rays being expensive. I think it was something like $50 on the estimate. In the grand scheme of things, that's no biggie. I'm more concerned about what is best in terms of determining which, if any teeth need to come out. And I think pretty highly of my vet - I do not believe she's saying we need them to cover the cost of her "new toy".

[Guest budsmom]

My vet has just recently added a dental xray machine, also. I'm not sure if they always do xrays or if it's just in case they need to determine whether a tooth needs to come out. I trust my vet more than I do my own doctor, so I always just rely on whatever they recommend. I know he won't recommend anything he doesn't really believe is needed, sometimes it may be a case of making a definite diagnosis rather than just a guess, but I usually go with whatever then, too. I love my vet!

 

Dentals here are pretty pricy - both Bud & Twiz had one this year, and they each had 3 extractions and it was about $800 each. That includes all the bloodwork, etc, and Twiz did lose her big upper tooth on the right side. I know that was really involved. I was really concerned about the bleeding with her, and he did the research and got the amicar for me, too, even though he had never used it before. Most human hospitals have it if you need it quickly.

[greyhead]

Our vet uses x-rays if necessary, in her opinion, or you request them. (We usually agree about it beforehand.) Spencer had them at his last dental because he'd had ongoing issues with gum inflammation and a swollen gland in his neck. Decisions about tooth removal are still made at the time of the dental, but having x-rays can guide them toward trouble they might otherwise miss. If you won't miss $50, you might consider having them done. (Hopefully, they maintain the pictures for future reference, to follow changes too.)

[Guest 2dogs4cats]

I would just wonder if the x-rays cause them to extract more teeth than are necessary for dogs. However, no vet has offered teeth x-rays to me. It makes sense to do x-rays for people since we have our cavities filled. Not sure if I am sold on this idea for dogs.

[dmswartzfager]

Dental radiographs are done with a special radiograph machine, very similar (if not identical) to the machines used in the human dental office to do those shots where you bite down on the little piece to hold the film in place. In the past at our clinic, we automatically did full mouth x-rays for cats and small dogs since they are fairly quick to do, but now we have included full mouth radiographs on all patients, including the larger dogs. (I'm learning how to take those shots, and good lord, what a pain in the butt!)

 

What the veterinarian is looking for is abscess formation around the roots, as well as any other unusual root structures that may indicate a potential problem. With the abscesses, they are something that can be detected far earlier than we would notice them, and they can be treated before they cause significant problems.

 

With extractions, we will do a before and after shot, so the vet knows where the roots lie, and then after, to make sure the entire root structure is gone.

 

For dental specialists in the area, we recommend Dr. Luskin at the Animal Dental Center in Annapolis.

[DesiRayMom]

We do dental xrays at our clinic, too. The doctors swear it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. If they find a big pocket with bone loss but the tooth

itself is still solid, they'll stuff some doxirobe gel in there to prevent infection/abscess and save the tooth.

 

In doing a feline dental a while back, they knew some incisors would have to come out, did xrays first & found so much bone loss that the jaw had

actually fractured. If they'd started pulling teeth without knowing that.....could have been a nightmare.

[tbhounds]

I'm voting for Dr R--have him evaluate the mouth and let him decide or you request his does the rads. I would feel more comfortable knowing he's on board with OSU's recommended protocol. Also, so long as he can perform digital rads dental rads aren't always necessary.

[TwiggysMom]

This is slightly off-topic, but regarding expense, sometimes specialists are actually less expensive than the general vet.

 

An office visit with Twiggy's oncologist is $31, but an office visit with her regular vet is exactly double - $62. I've also found that bloodwork and other labs are much less expensive when run by the specialty/e-vet versus the regular vet's office.

[Hubcitypam]

An office visit with Twiggy's oncologist is $31, but an office visit with her regular vet is exactly double - $62. I've also found that bloodwork and other labs are much less expensive when run by the specialty/e-vet versus the regular vet's office.

That is not the case here. Office visit at my vet is $42. Office visit at the speciality clinic for Rex about 8 years ago was pushing $100. The good thing about the speciality clinic was if the doctors weren't busy they'd all informally consult on interesting cases. Rex got an ortho and neuro for one fee.

[3greytjoys]

If dental x-rays help prevent a following (second) dental with full anesthesia for a problem not caught during current dental, it could be well worth it. One of our seniors had approx. a dozen extractions. X-rays ended up saving other questionable teeth.

 

We prefer liquid Aminocaproic Acid (beef flavor) because it's fast-acting and tastes like a yummy treat to hounds. (Nice to avoid administering extra pills when hound's mouth is sore.) Amicar (trade name for Aminocaproic Acid/EACA) compounded into liquid has one month shelf life. We place the order with a compounding pharmacy about one week prior to surgery. (Can take a few business days for pharmacy to order stock.) Three of our hounds are known excessive bleeders, so we begin their treatment a day or two before surgery day, especially for a more serious surgery.

 

Dry form Aminocaproic Acid (one year shelf life) is usually much more expensive at retail pharmacies than liquid form; however, I found that Costco Pharmacy will sell Aminocaproic Acid dry tablets for a very affordable price (a generic to Amicar). I keep tablets stocked at home for a very rare emergency for my excessive bleeder with cancer.

 

Re: your overheating comment: One of the best things you can do is request the first surgery slot of the day, or drop hound off immediately before surgery. That way your hound isn't beginning to overheat from stress while waiting in the kennel too long before surgery. Many overheating cases begin long before the hounds are placed under anesthesia.

 

Just a little caution: Xanax can have the opposite affect on certain dogs. It makes our severe separation anxiety hound more tense and nervous. If Xanax is desired, I'd suggest testing it's affect on your hound a week or so in advance of surgery.

[Guest Fasave]

This....

We do dental xrays at our clinic, too. The doctors swear it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. If they find a big pocket with bone loss but the tooth

itself is still solid, they'll stuff some doxirobe gel in there to prevent infection/abscess and save the tooth.

 

 

My Tucker had his dental last Friday and they used the doxirobe gel on three large molars. The vet said if I had waited 6 months, he would have lost three of the most important teeth he has and may have been dealing with a major infection. The teeth were not loose so without the x-rays he might be in a different place today. He's four and now still has all his teeth. I'm hoping this will be the case for the rest of his life.

[tbhounds]

This....

We do dental xrays at our clinic, too. The doctors swear it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. If they find a big pocket with bone loss but the tooth

itself is still solid, they'll stuff some doxirobe gel in there to prevent infection/abscess and save the tooth.

 

 

My Tucker had his dental last Friday and they used the doxirobe gel on three large molars. The vet said if I had waited 6 months, he would have lost three of the most important teeth he has and may have been dealing with a major infection. The teeth were not loose so without the x-rays he might be in a different place today. He's four and now still has all his teeth. I'm hoping this will be the case for the rest of his life.

Just want to point put that doxirobe has falling out of favor with some veterinary dentists lately.

[NeylasMom]

This....

We do dental xrays at our clinic, too. The doctors swear it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. If they find a big pocket with bone loss but the tooth

itself is still solid, they'll stuff some doxirobe gel in there to prevent infection/abscess and save the tooth.

 

 

My Tucker had his dental last Friday and they used the doxirobe gel on three large molars. The vet said if I had waited 6 months, he would have lost three of the most important teeth he has and may have been dealing with a major infection. The teeth were not loose so without the x-rays he might be in a different place today. He's four and now still has all his teeth. I'm hoping this will be the case for the rest of his life.

Just want to point put that doxirobe has falling out of favor with some veterinary dentists lately.

Wanna' share why?

[DesiRayMom]

This....

We do dental xrays at our clinic, too. The doctors swear it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. If they find a big pocket with bone loss but the tooth

itself is still solid, they'll stuff some doxirobe gel in there to prevent infection/abscess and save the tooth.

 

 

My Tucker had his dental last Friday and they used the doxirobe gel on three large molars. The vet said if I had waited 6 months, he would have lost three of the most important teeth he has and may have been dealing with a major infection. The teeth were not loose so without the x-rays he might be in a different place today. He's four and now still has all his teeth. I'm hoping this will be the case for the rest of his life.

Just want to point put that doxirobe has falling out of favor with some veterinary dentists lately.

Wanna' share why?

 

Please tell us why........my vets love the stuff, and I love going in & telling them new stuff I learn on GT!!!!!