08/19/2026
Veterinary professionals refer to “dental cleanings” as a Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment (COHAT)—and Teddy is a perfect example of why! 🦷
More than 50% of a tooth lies below the gumline, so dental X-rays are an essential part of evaluating a pet’s oral health. 🩻
1️⃣ Before: Teddy’s teeth appeared to have only moderate tartar and gingivitis, with no obvious signs of diseased teeth.
2️⃣ X-rays: His dental X-rays revealed bone loss at the furcation—the area where the roots split—of the circled tooth. This disease was not visible during our initial exam. 🩻
3️⃣ Probing: Carefully probing each tooth is another important part of a comprehensive oral assessment. In Teddy’s case, probing also confirmed the problem with this tooth.
4️⃣ Treatment: After thoroughly cleaning Teddy’s teeth—just like the cleaning your hygienist performs at your dental appointments—we extracted the diseased tooth and placed stitches that will heal within a week. 🪥
Unfortunately, none of this can be safely or effectively accomplished without general anesthesia. If dental visits are barely tolerated by us, imagine asking our canine and feline friends to sit still for a thorough dental exam, X-rays, probing, cleaning, and treatment while awake! 😅
And what’s hiding underneath that tartar? Bacteria. Over time, bacteria can cause inflammation, bone loss, and gum recession. Eventually, the tooth may become painful, infected, or loose—at which point extraction is often the best option.
This is why a “dental cleaning” is so much more than simply removing visible tartar. A COHAT allows us to see, evaluate, and treat what’s happening both above and below the gumline.
Stay tuned for our next post, where Dr. Gi demonstrates what goes into a comprehensive oral examination! 👩🏻⚕️🦷
