1. A physical exam is preformed, including listening to the heart and lungs and a brief oral exam looking at the mucous membranes and a look at the teeth. 2. If no blood was previously drawn, a pre-anesthetic blood panel is pulled from the patient and run in our lab. 3. A light anesthetic is given to allow a thorough exam and cleaning. The eyes are lubricated for safety, an antibiotic injection is given, nails are trimmed and the patient is connected to a pulse oximeter to measure heart rate and oxygenation at all times while the patient is anesthetized. If needed, we also will put the patient on IV fluids. The patient is placed on a circulating hot water heating pad in order to keep them warm. 4. A pre-cleaning photo is taken. 5. The entire mouth is examined for abnormalities. Any problems are reported to the doctor. (This dog has a fractured upper 4th premolar) 6. Large pieces of calculus are removed with forceps. The teeth are then cleaned with an ultrasonic scaler. 7. A dental probe is used to measure the depth of the pockets between the tooth and gums. Deep pockets may indicate a problem. 8. Radiographs are taken where indicated. We use a digital x-ray system where we can view the radiographs quickly on our dental computer. 9. Teeth are extracted when indicated. Pain medications are also given when indicated.

10. Any problems are noted on a dental chart, including degree of gingivitis, loose teeth, missing teeth, broken teeth, worn teeth and any other abnormalities. Problems may also be photographed. 11. Post cleaning photos are taken. 12. The teeth are polished with fluoride paste. 13. Oravet, a dental sealant, can then be applied. Oravet works by preventing calculus from forming on the teeth. An application is applied at the end of the dental cleaning, and then a weekly application is applied at home.
14. The patient is then woken up. 15. A customized client instruction sheet is completed, with before and after photos, noting any missing or extracted teeth.