Services – AVDOS

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Adelaide Veterinary Dentistry and Oromaxillofacial Services (AVDOS) stands as a pioneering institution of veterinary care in South Australia. Founded with a commitment to addressing complex dental and oromaxillofacial issues in animals, AVDOS has become a beacon of excellence in Veterinary Care. Their dedicated team brings a wealth of experience and expertise, ensuring that pets receive the highest standard of care available.

Their state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge techniques enable them to diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions, ensuring the well-being and comfort of our furry companions. With a compassionate approach and a commitment to staying at the forefront of veterinary dentistry and facial surgery, AVDOS continues to make a profound impact in improving the quality of life for animals throughout South Australia.

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Periodontics

The periodontal system comprises all the tissues that support the teeth: the gums, the bone, the periodontal ligament and the cementum on the tooth root.

Periodontal disease is the most common disease of all domestic small animals.

Periodontal disease occurs in 85% of dogs and 75% of cats over the age of 2 years.

The key to managing periodontal disease is being able to diagnose your pet’s periodontal status accurately and then plan to manage this throughout your pet’s life.

Diagnosis begins with your pet’s Complete Oral Health Assessment. Complete Oral Health Assessments are performed to identify disease processes and abnormalities in the oral cavity. Each tooth is individually assessed to identify conditions like periodontal pockets, gum disease, tooth wear, tooth fractures and oral masses.

Prophylactic cleaning and root planing are performed to manage periodontal disease. You can expect an accurate diagnosis, treatment options and a lifelong management plan for your pet.

Orthodontics

The treatment of malpositioning of the teeth and jaws. Ortho means correction.

Examples include the placement of braces, crown extensions and the use of inclined planes and orthodontic appliances to move your pets’ teeth into a more acceptable position.

There are a few orthodontic options available for correcting malocclusions.

Teeth in the wrong positions can be painful and traumatic for your pet.

Many pets suffer from malpositioned teeth, causing damage to other teeth and gums and even causing holes to form in the hard, bony tissues of the mouth as a result of constant impact.

At AVDOS, thoughtful solutions are offered to resolve your pet’s malocclusion. Teeth can be realigned, and jaw growth influenced, allowing your pet to live pain-free lives with minimal long-term intervention.

Endodontics

Treatment of diseases and injuries to the inside of the tooth. Inside every living tooth is a pulp cavity. The nerve and vascular centre of the tooth lie here, nurturing the cells of the dentin system.

When this tissue becomes inflamed, infected or dies, an abscess can form at the end of the root, making your pet unwell and risking significant facial pain and infection.

If your pet breaks a tooth and exposes the pulp, the tooth can be “capped’ or treated to seal the tooth and keep it alive. This treatment is called direct pulp capping and needs to occur within 48 hours of breaking the tooth or exposing the pulp to maximize success for your pet.

Direct pulp capping is also used when your pet has abnormally positioned teeth that cause trauma to the mouth. The teeth are reduced in height (crown amputation) to relieve the impact on the opposing tissues.

If your pet is older or the damaged tooth has been fractured for an unknown time, root canal therapy may be recommended to save the tooth.

Root canal therapy is often recommended for major teeth such as canines and carnassials, enabling teeth to be saved and maintaining the function of your pet’s dentition.

This stabilizes the surrounding teeth and means your pet can continue to chew and eat normally. Root canal therapy removes the pulp from your pet’s tooth and sterilizes the inside so that it can be filled with a rubber solution, rendering the tooth inert or internally dead and externally alive.

As a result of root canal therapy, broken teeth can be saved, preserving surrounding periodontal tissues and dentition.

Prosthodontics

Prosthodontics is the practice of adding prosthetics to the teeth.

Just as you would have a filling, your pet may need a restorative if a tooth has been damaged and the pulp is not affected.

Some animals have abnormal enamel on their teeth or may have suffered injuries to individual teeth as they develop.

Restoratives can be used to prevent endodontic disease from developing. Fillings can be applied using composite as would occur in your teeth, protecting your pets’ teeth from sensitivity, infection and eventual pulp death.

If composite restoratives are not a suitable alternative for your pet’s needs, a full or partial crown may be recommended. Crowns cover the entirety of the tooth, spreading the load and allowing your pet to return to normal function.

Crowns can be made from zirconia and look just like normal teeth, or they can be made of mixed metal or gold metal mix.

Prosthodontics also includes the placement of implants. While not a common undertaking, there are valid reasons for replacing certain strategic teeth with an implant.

Exodontics

Extraction of teeth. Extractions can sometimes be the only treatment option.

They can be very complex to remove safely without causing further damage to your pet’s mouth.

Appropriate removal of dentition, which cannot be saved, with minimal loss of supporting bone, can decrease the risk of periodontal attachment loss and further disease in the remaining dentition.

Unerupted and partially erupted teeth can be complicated to remove and need increased expertise and specialised instrumentation to extract safely.

Oral Surgery

Diagnosis and treatment of diseases in the mouth or skull which need surgical removal.

Impacted teeth and very sick teeth can result in cysts forming in the jaws.

Removing these cysts can be complex and requires specific instrumentation and skills.

Special instrumentation can achieve better surgical outcomes in animals with cyst formation.

The focus on craniofacial problems at AVDOS means your pets can access advanced surgical techniques and instruments to improve their outcomes.

Oral Medicine

Nurse Periodontal Program

We offer a periodontal program for clients to decrease periodontal disease and halitosis (bad breath).

Toothbrushing has long been laughed off in the veterinary profession.

However, it is the mainstay of managing periodontal disease.

It is the cheapest thing you will ever do to reduce the need for your pet to have dental hygiene under anesthetic.

Brushing your pet’s teeth once daily for 2 minutes will reduce 85% of periodontal disease.

Our program includes four one-on-one brushing lessons scheduled over 10 months.

During the course, we teach you and your pet how to have their teeth cleaned and give you tips and tricks to be successful.

After this, you have ongoing access to a highly skilled nursing and veterinary team should you have any problems.

Oral Bone Surgery

Damage to the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) can result in an inability to open or close the mouth fully and can be very painful.

Surgery may be required to excise the joint. Oral tumours can be managed from diagnosis to treatment and long-term management.

Facial fractures can bring a complex mix of dental and skeletal problems.

Often, teeth and bones are re-broken, and reconstruction can be complex.

Advanced imaging using CBCT (cone beam computed tomography) specialized, purpose-directed instrumentation, including craniofacial reconstruction kits and piezoelectric surgery, works with the mix of dental and surgical skills to achieve the best long-term outcomes for your pet.

Adelaide Veterinary Dentistry and Oromaxillofacial Services

Open Tuesday to Friday, from 8 AM to 6 PM

08 7079 6709

228 Glen Osmond Road, Fullarton, SA 5063

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