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Updated resources July 2020
As many veterinary hospitals are now equipped with dental radiography (yeah!), many feel that this is enough to record the pathology identified. Other veterinarians say dental radiography is still too expensive for them, and/or they cannot see the benefit, yet both sides overlook a vital, yet inexpensive procedure – the Dental Chart with the handy dandy Periodontal probe.
If your dental records reads “acp/meth premed, thio iv, routine scale and polish, few incisors removed”, then please consider improving your records.
There are many pet dental charts available, with most veterinary software including charts as standard. IM3 and the AVDS are very happy to share theirs (see below).
For those who are VIN members, they have recently updated their dental charts too. The VIN dental chart is the one I have been using for the past two years – and the pet owners have loved it as they have been able to understand easily the pathology in their pet’s mouth.
Irrespective of which dental chart you choose, the most important part of the charting process is developing a system that is consistent from pet to pet, and from year to year.
However, in reality, creating a dental chart SAVES time. The pathology is well documented with a logical coherent treatment plan, which is easily communicated to the anxious pet owner. Once you get the “Go ahead”, you can work much more efficiently.
How much time have you wasted “umming” and “aahing” on what is the best thing to do? An objectively filled dental chart will save you time.
Love your Perio Probe! This is the first dental instrument you should put your hands on, as with its graduations, you are able to do one of the most important diagnostic tests for periodontal disease – measuring the gingival pocket depth, and if you wish to be really precise, take into account your gingival recession depth too.
It is THE most important measurement as it helps you answer these questions: Does the pet need periodontal therapy? Use of a periceutical? Root planning? Gingivectomy? Extraction?
With our pet in left lateral recumbency, place the periodontal probe on the right central incisor. Roll it around the entire tooth (not just one spot) – on the chart we write in our perio depth (multiple numbers if needed), the gingivitis (G0 to G4) and calculus score (C0 to C4).
1. A periodontal probe inserted into the gingival space around the entire tooth to give a perio depth
2. The probe’s graduations give an indication of depth of ‘the gap’. Always ‘Mind the Gap’
Go onto the next tooth and repeat. If there is any other pathology identified, record it. After charting on the one side, complete the dental xrays. Then do the other side. Sometimes, in trench mouths, it is useful to radiograph first and then chart.
|
Gingival Index |
Calculus Index | ||
| 0 | No inflammation | 0 | Normal |
| 1 | Pin point bleeding on probing only | 1 | Specks or streaks of plaque/tartar |
| 2 | Visually red, mild swollen gums, bleeding on probing | 2 | Tartar less than 50% of crown |
| 3 | Very red, swollen gums, easily bleeding | 3 | Tartar more than 50% of crown |
| 4 | Gum bleeds by looking at it, blue red puffy gum margins | 4 | Tartar on crown and root |
| Normal Period Depth Cats: 0 – 0.5 | Normal Perio Depth Dogs up to 3mm |
You can easily find the correct dental codes online, but the more common problems include:
At discharge, a copy is sent home with the pet owner with detailed home care instructions which automatically adds value and importance to what was done that day. A pdf version is saved and attached to the pet’s file as well as the essential information transferred to the medical file.
We have found a greater engagement and acceptance of our dental recommendations by pet owners, through supporting them with the information they need to make the right decision for their loved one. This is especially important as we know that a “dental” isn’t a once-in-a-lifetime procedure, and we need to communicate this point with our pet owners.
If you have any questions about Dental Charting, please ask in the comments section below.
The American Veterinary Dental Society (AVDS) has also agreed to share their guidelines on how to complete a thorough dental chart (for the purists) and some other dental charts (7 page pdf document).
We have found this version to be easy to explain to pet owners as they can see what teeth are missing, which teeth were x-rayed and which teeth were extracted. Depending on the situation we also sometimes paint them in different colours.
Dr Liz Chmurycz is a companion animal veterinarian, based at Russell Vale Animal Clinic, in Wollongong, Australia. As a solo vet and business owner, she is also a mother of four children. She is passionate about the veterinary profession, and the animals she sees.
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Im after the VIN dental chart for dogs if possible. Im a junior vet nurse and would like a copy to help me learn the terminology as the lay out is very easy to understand. Thank you
Hi Sammi-Jo, thanks for stopping by. Unfortunately VIN wouldn’t give approval for us to add in a blank Dental Chart which is why we could only include a completed version. Have you spoken with any of the vets you work with? They may be members of VIN and therefore able to access the chart. Regards, Judy
Hi am a veterinary medicine student will graduate in 2020 and I have taken an interest in dentistry, and would like to start learning and getting used to the terms and better prepared before I graduate and enroll in a veterinary dentistry course. Thank you very much.
Hi Bruna, thanks for your comment and it’s great to hear you’re already interested in dentistry as it’s an area with a lot of opportunity. If you’d like to read more posts on the topic, just visit ‘Festival of All Things Dental’ in the blog categories on the top right hand side of this page. Regards Judy
Hello – Great article! I’m unable to download the Guinea Pig chart. It seems to be missing the attachment. Do you have a link for it?
Hi Tamisha, I’m glad you found the post useful (it’s the most popular post on our blog!).
and I’m sorry about the broken link. I’ve fixed it so you can now download the Guinea Pig Chart. Thanks for letting me know!