VetCE on Demand: Oral Assessment of the Dental Patient Under Anesthesia

Course overview

The oral exam of veterinary patients under anesthesia entails a tooth-by-tooth evaluation. The team member must be familiar with the oral cavity's structures in order to perform an effective oral exam. The use of diagnostic instruments such as the periodontal probe to find periodontal pockets, gingival bleeding, and furcation involvement, along with the dental explorer to find pulp exposure and tooth resorption, are addressed. Also included is a basic dental charting technique which shows how the examination findings, combined with dental radiographs, are recorded on a dental chart that guides the clinician.