Dentistry for Animals

Aptos, CA · Veterinary Dentistry & Oral Surgery

Specialty veterinary dentistry and oral surgery care for pets in Aptos and surrounding communities.

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Services at this location

Anesthesia

Anesthesia is a state of unconsciousness that is needed to keep your pet still and calm during an oral assessment, teeth cleaning, dental x-rays, and treatment.Key factsQuick lookLearn moreWe would encourage pet owners to familiarize themselves with our Keys to Safe Anesthesia. Every dental patient will receive a physical examination, pre-anesthetic testing, and an individualized anesthetic protocol.Our doctors have had advanced training in anesthesia and have an experienced veterinary nursing staff that has specialized training in anesthesia, support and patient recovery. We refer and anesthetize many patients with heart, kidney, and liver conditions.Moreover, we follow the American Animal Hospital Association Anesthetic Guidelines, American Association of Feline Practitioners Anesthetic Guidelines, and regularly consult with veterinary anesthesiologists to remain current and continue to deliver safe procedures with patient comfort and recovery in mind.More Resource

3D Imaging – Cone Beam CT

Key factsQUICK LOOK AT 3d imagingLearn moreThe Veterinary Dental Center utilizes CBCT imaging for the majority of their patients. It provides the highest quality imaging which can be evaluated in multiple planes, with unlimited contrast and assessed using 3D maxillofacial reconstruction. It routinely identifies many oral conditions that may not be visible on dental radiograph (x-rays) as well as reduces time under anesthesia.Our CBCT unit, VetCAT, is an FDA approved imaging tool that is mobile, allowing us to perform a scan in 40 seconds tableside without moving the patient. This optimal workflow minimizes anesthetic time, allows the doctor to evaluate the scan/images in the treatment room and efficiently communicate to the pet’s dental team the diagnosis and treatment plan for the pet.

Teeth Cleaning

Professional teeth cleaning is an opportunity to perform a thorough examination of your pet’s oral health.Key factsQuick lookLearn moreDental evaluation for your pets are much more involved than what we receive from our dentist for the following reasons:Many veterinary dentists advocate a 10-12 step approach to each dental procedure. We have grouped similar steps and provide a 6-step approach to each dental procedure.Below are the six steps needed to provide comprehensive oral health assessment/treatment plan no matter how nominal the dental disease may appear.

Dental X-Ray

Dental x-ray is an essential tool in the diagnosis and treatment planning of oral conditions in your pet as 60% of the tooth lies under the gums.Key factsQUICK LOOK AT DENTAL x-RAYThe canine tooth below illustrates how much more detail can be obtained with a dental x-ray vs. standard x-ray system.Learn moreDogs have 42 teeth and cats have 30 teeth. Usually, 8 to 15 x-ray images are obtained in order to effectively access oral condition. x-rays will allow us to possibly discover:

Surgical Extraction

Surgical extraction is the preferred technique for the removal of a damaged or infected tooth, as it minimizes complications and offers optimal healing.Key factsQuick lookLearn moreMany of the teeth that need extraction are not loose or mobile. These include teeth that are fractured or infected, teeth that have mild to moderate bone loss, teeth associated with an oral tumor, and impacted teeth. Steps of a surgical approach to extractions include:Root canal therapy is a less invasive and less painful option to save fractured or discolored teeth than surgical extraction.

Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy is a far less invasive and painful option to save fractured or discolored teeth than surgical extraction.Key factsQuick lookLearn moreRoot canal therapy is a far less invasive and painful option for fractured tooth or discolored tooth than surgical extraction. The goal is to treat the tooth before it becomes infected or painful. Moreover, root canal therapy allows your pet to retain the tooth for functions like grasping/retrieving or chewing.Working dogs (police, herding, hunting, obedience) obviously need their teeth for their “job” or “use”. Many receive root canal therapy and most are supported with a titanium crown when a tooth or teeth are damaged. Root canal therapy is also the preferred treatment for our zoo patients.

Oral Tumor Diagnosis

Some oral growths (tooth infection, cyst, impacted tooth) may be mistaken for an oral tumor. We can help properly diagnose an oral tumor so that it can be promptly treated.Key factsQuick lookLearn moreEarly detection and diagnosis of an oral tumor is always our goal. However, many growths grow undetected as few pets will show signs or symptoms. Some oral tumors are noted when the veterinarian performs your pet’s annual examination, while others are noted during a pet’s teeth cleaning procedure.Oral tumors can represent a benign or malignant condition:Staging is the diagnostic testing that is performed for malignant tumors. It is used to determine if the tumor has spread to other parts of the body (lymph nodes, lungs, liver/kidneys). Common staging tests include biopsy or cytology of local lymph nodes, chest x-rays, or abdominal ultrasound.Surgical removal is the preferred treatment for the majority of oral tumors. Based on the tumor type and imaging (3D Imaging – Cone Beam CT) findings, the removal of the tumor will be performed with a predetermined amount of adjacent normal tissue. It is likely that this oral surgery will include one or more teeth. We perform many of these procedures and will share how patients will eat, adapt and look after surgery.Radiation or Chemotherapy has limited uses in malignant oral tumors. Sometimes these therapies can be used in conjunction with surgery or to relieve pain and slow the progression of the disease. We may refer you to a Veterinary Oncologist for further discussion on treatment options.

Jaw Fracture Repair

We utilize minimally invasive techniques (bone grafting, interdental wiring, composite splinting) that restores their occlusion (alignment of their teeth) and will relieve pain. Ultimately, allowing these patients to eat and interact with family during healing.Key factsQuick lookLearn moreYour pet needs to be evaluated under anesthesia before a treatment plan can be determined, which will include analysis of affected teeth, the needed oral surgery, stabilization technique/procedure and cost, and length of procedure (ie. 1.5 to 3 hours).Ideally, your pet is stabilized from his/her trauma (fluids, pain medications, and chest x-rays) prior to transfer. We prefer to treat these patients within 3 days and most cases require us to re-schedule 1-2 of our current cases to have sufficient time and staff to perform the care these patients require.Cases are treated using modifications of veterinary published techniques and the experience we have accumulated over the past 15 years. The most common techniques involve interdental wiring and composite splinting of teeth on either side of the bone fracture.Healing generally occurs over 6-8 weeks at which time your pet is re-anesthetized, evaluated and stabilization material is removed. A cost estimate will be provided for the initial procedure and the re-evaluation/second anesthesia/removal 6-8 weeks later.

Bone Grafts

Key factsQuick lookLearn moreWe perform regenerative procedures that you or I may have done by a periodontist. We treat periodontal pockets with deep cleanings or root planing. Surgical flaps (open root planing) allows us to use techniques developed in human dentistry to place bone grafts and resorbable membranes to regenerate tissue, ultimately retaining the diseased tooth. Procedural photographs will be shared with you and your veterinarian to illustrate our treatment.

Crowns

These procedures are also referred to as Restorative Dentistry.Key factsQuick lookLearn moreThe two most common indications for crown therapy in dogs is to protect teeth after root canal therapy and patients with separation anxiety that bite on their cage/enclosure. In veterinary dentistry, we use titanium alloy crowns for their strength and bio-compatibility. Pet-owners sometimes request “tooth colored” crowns. However, zirconium or ceramic crowns are prone to fractures based on the high bite forces dogs exert.

Pediatric Dentistry

Key factsQuick lookLearn moreLearn about oral conditions that are common in puppies and kittens:

Periodontal Surgery

Key factsQuick lookLearn morePeriodontal probing and dental x-rays will identify periodontal disease (loss of supporting gums or bone). We routinely find some degree of gum and bone disease in a majority of our patients. Treatment decisions are based on:Procedural photographs and x-rays illustrating our treatment will be shared with your veterinarian.

Feline Dentistry

Key factsQuick lookLearn moreCats are masters at hiding pain or illness. Fortunately, in a quiet setting, we can identify most patients in need of treatment (missing teeth, gum redness, gum recession) and we are equipped to safely anesthetize and treat any or all diseases cats develop.Dental x-rays are so important:Small mouths and small teeth- no problem:

Working Dog Dentistry

Some patients we have helpedWe have treated regional working dogs (police, explosive detection, homeland security and search/tracking) since 2002. These highly intelligent and skilled dogs are prone to tooth fractures or other oral injuries in training and work.The most common injury is a tooth fracture and we provide root canal therapy/metal crown therapy to prevent infection (pain) and retain the tooth for function. In 2018, we have partnered with Working Dog HQ to increase awareness of oral health and tooth trauma in working dogs throughout the United States of America.Learn More About Working DogSNews storyDr. Juriga was featured in the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine Newsletter. Visit this link to read about Dr. Juriga’s collaboration with Working Dogs.

Zoo Animal Dentistry

The Veterinary Dental Centerhas provided dental services to zoo and aquarium patients since 2005. Our doctors consult with the zoo veterinarians on each patient’s oral condition, diet and function prior to performing the oral examination and x-ray imaging to determine the best treatment plan. We are blessed to have a highly trained zoo veterinary and technician staff that provides the anesthesia to perform these dental and oral surgical procedures.Packing for the zoo includes specialized instruments and dental materials selected for the challenges in the zoo animals tooth structure and size (length). For example, human dentists routinely use root canal files that range from 21-25 mm, while in our dogs’ veterinary dentist use files from 50-60 mm and in tigers/bears we utilize files up to 120 mm.Some ZOO ANIMALS we have helped…

Bite Evaluation & Orthodontics

Schedule an oral examination for your pet to check for possible misalignment or other common oral conditions affecting his/her bite.Key factsQuick lookLearn more

Meet the team

Doctors at this location

Our doctors

Judy Force, DVM

Diplomate, American Veterinary Dental College

Cesar Vega, DVM

Practice Limited to Dentistry

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Address8035 Soquel Drive, #45, Aptos, CA 95003

Phone(831) 768-7148

Emailinfo@dentistryforanimals.com

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