Abstract
BackgroundDental disease is very common in dogs and veterinary professional dental cleaning and examination, together with daily dental home care, is the foundation for good dental health. To our knowledge, no previous study has investigated professional dental cleaning routines in small animal veterinary practice. A validated questionnaire survey was distributed to all veterinarians and veterinary nurses with registered e-mail addresses in the Swedish national registry (veterinarians; n = 3657, veterinary nurses; n = 1650). Response rates were 32% for veterinarians (V) and 38% for veterinary nurses (VN).ResultsIn total, 73% (V)/96% (VN) of respondents reported that professional dental cleaning was performed at their work place under general anesthesia, and 27% (V)/18% (VN) that dental cleaning was performed under sedation. Of the respondents, 43% (V)/96% (VN) considered regular dental cleaning under general anesthesia fairly or very important, and 49% (V)/47% (VN) stated that it was sometimes important for good dental health in dogs. A majority of respondents, 84% (V)/97% (VN), reported that dental extractions were performed at their clinic, and 72% (V)/90% (VN) had access to dental radiography equipment.ConclusionA majority of Swedish veterinarians and veterinary nurses perform professional dental cleaning under general anesthesia with access to dental radiography equipment, in accordance with national and international recommendations. However, a considerable proportion of professional dental cleanings were performed under sedation only, and extractions performed without access to dental radiography equipment were common, suggesting several areas of improvement in the routines in Swedish veterinary clinics and hospitals. Our results clearly indicate the need for improved educational efforts to increase the awareness among veterinary health professionals regarding guidelines and official recommendations in canine dental care.
Highlights
Dental disease is very common in dogs and veterinary professional dental cleaning and examination, together with daily dental home care, is the foundation for good dental health
These questions related to: whether dental cleaning was performed; by what occupational category dental cleaning and dental extractions were performed; whether sedation or general anesthesia was used, and with which anesthetic agent; whether there was access to dental radiography equipment; and how the importance of regular dental cleaning at the veterinary clinic was perceived by veterinarians and veterinary nurses
The question about perceived importance of regular professional dental cleaning was visible to all respondents, whereas the rest of the questionnaire was only visible to respondents who answered that they met dogs in their professional role as a veterinarian (nV = 932) or veterinary nurse (nVN = 567)
Summary
Dental disease is very common in dogs and veterinary professional dental cleaning and examination, together with daily dental home care, is the foundation for good dental health. No previous study has investigated professional dental cleaning routines in small animal veterinary practice. Identification of periodontal disease is essential for prevention of disease progression. Routine dental checkups provide an excellent opportunity for enhanced communication with dog owners regarding proper dental homecare, including tooth brushing routines [5, 6]. A first visit to the veterinary clinic for dental cleaning and checkup is recommended from 1 year of age for small and medium sized dogs and from 2 years of age for larger dogs, and thereafter to be scheduled based on individual needs [5]
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