What does it mean when your Veterinarian recommends your pet have Oral ATP?

The Oral Assessment, Treatment and Prevention (ORAL ATP) protocol is a cutting edge approach to pet oral healthcare. This means we take a much more comprehensive and thorough approach to any and all disease that can be affecting your pets mouth and overall health.

Assessment:

The oral assessment begins in the exam room and continues with a systematic tooth-by-tooth examination of your pet's mouth under anesthesia. Since we can't rely on our pets to hold perfectly still, like we would in the dentist's office, this step is critical to ensure no oral problems go untreated.
Oral disease is one of the most common, yet serious health problems in veterinary medicine -- affecting approximately 80% of dogs and 70% of cats by age three.
Intra-oral radiographs (x-rays like your dentist would take) help us evaluate each of your pet's teeth below the gum line, where problems can not always be seen by the naked eye.

Treatment:

This step includes:
- Cleaning, polishing and probing all teeth one by one both above and below the gum line as necessary
- Addressing any abnormalities
o Periodontal Disease
o Fractured Teeth
o Missing Teeth
o Extra Teeth
o Rotated Teeth
o Retained Deciduous (puppy) Teeth
o Oral Growths or Tumors
o Tooth Resorption Lesions

Prevention:

Prevention includes both at home daily preventative care, as well as future Oral Assessment and physical exams with your Veterinarian.
Plaque prevention is paramount to protecting your patients' teeth between regular visits. We will discuss a preventive plan using:
- Tooth Brushing
- Daily Dental treats such as Greenies® canine dental chews or Greenies® feline treats
- Dental Wipes
- Dental-Friendly diets such as T/d made by Hills science diet
- Plaque prevention gel or water additives
Follow-up dental visits are critical for the long-term oral health of your pets. These visits can be incorporated into your twice yearly wellness visits, or they maybe scheduled separately. For most pets we recommend annual Oral ATP.

Digital Dental radiographs (intra-oral x-ray)

East Orlando Animal Hospital now has digital dental (intra-oral) radiography. Your pet's teeth will be x-rayed at each Oral ATP visit and your Veterinarian will review these x-rays with you to discuss any areas of concern, developing disease or areas of successful treatment of periodontal disease. Because of the detailed look at previously inaccessible areas of each tooth we are better able to direct our therapy and can often identify areas of disease and pain that would have otherwise gone untreated.

The New Dental Radiograph Machine!