Page 3304 - Cote clinical veterinary advisor dogs and cats 4th

Consent to Perform Dental Extractions (Tooth Removal)

VetBooks.ir Patient name:_________________________________
Pet owner’s name:_____________________________ Med rec #____________
Best contact during/after procedure (e.g., cell phone number):____________________

INTRODUCTION USE OF SEDATIVES OR ANESTHESIA
We want to make sure that you understand the planned medical Dental extractions require general anesthesia. General anesthesia
procedure to be performed on your pet. You should know why the will cause your pet to become unconscious and prevents him or her
procedure has been suggested, what the potential benefits are for from feeling any pain or fear during the procedure. Most pets do
your pet, and the most common/important risks of the procedure. well under anesthesia; however, there are always associated risks
Alternatives to this procedure, when applicable, will be discussed with general anesthesia, including a very small risk of death. The
with you. It is also important that you recognize that medicine is risks of general anesthesia are increased for animals that have other
not an exact science, and that the outcome cannot be guaranteed. severe disease present (such as advanced heart or kidney disease).
We encourage you to ask us as many questions as required for The decision to perform a procedure such as removing a tooth is
you to make a well-informed decision. made on the basis that the anticipated benefit of the procedure
is greater than the risk of anesthesia. To help evaluate for other
BENEFITS/OPTIMAL OUTCOME OF THE PROCEDURE systemic disease, routine blood tests will likely be recommended
The goal of dental extractions is to remove teeth that may be prior to anesthesia to help make this process as safe for your pet
dead, infected, unstable, broken, or causing pain to your pet. as possible.
This is performed under general anesthesia, often at the same
time as a dental cleaning. Many pet owners do not recognize FORESEEABLE RISKS TO THE PROCEDURE
signs that their pet has mouth pain from dental disease, but • Once a tooth is removed, the gums will be stitched closed to
after diseased teeth are removed, the pet’s level of comfort will help the area heal. There is a possibility that the suture may
be improved as will their overall oral health. Though some pets become loose or fall out prematurely, which can result in delayed
may require soft food for a few days after teeth are removed healing as well as discomfort.
and while the gums heal, most pets have no problem quickly • It is possible for a portion of a tooth’s root to break off during
returning to their normal diet. This is true even when all of the extraction, which can cause infection or pain. Dental x-rays after
teeth must be removed. In fact, your pet might have less pain extractions can prevent this outcome by making sure that there
while eating soon after the bad teeth are pulled than they did just are no root fragments left in the mouth.
before! • There is a risk of neighboring teeth becoming damaged during
the extraction process, and on occasion this may necessitate
EXPLANATION OF THE PROCEDURE their removal as well.
Teeth that need to be removed are identified during an initial • If there was significant dental disease present before the extrac-
evaluation of your pet’s mouth while he or she is under general tion, it may have caused bone loss and weakening of the jaw.
anesthesia. Dental x-rays will help to identify teeth that appear Removal of a tooth in a severely affected area could result in a
healthy on the outside but are diseased below the gums. A numbing jaw fracture.
medication may be administered during anesthesia to help minimize • There is a small risk of significant bleeding associated with tooth
pain associated with the removal of teeth even after the pet wakes removal.
up from anesthesia. • Another uncommon complication that can occur during the
During anesthesia, and after diseased teeth have been identi- tooth removal process is that a tooth is pushed into another
fied, they will be extracted. Some teeth can be removed after area (such as into the inside of the nose) where it can be very
they are manually loosened from their attachments to the mouth. difficult to remove.
Other teeth may require more advanced techniques to allow
precise, safe removal of the entire tooth. Such techniques include Other anticipated risks specific to your pet:___________________
the removal of bone from around the tooth’s root to ensure that
the tooth’s root can be clearly seen and fully removed. This is _________________________________________________________
critical to ensuring the most successful outcome to your pet’s
dental extractions. Once the tooth has been removed, the loca-
tion will be cleaned out and smoothed and then sutured (stitched) ALTERNATIVES TO THE PROCEDURE
closed to help your pet’s mouth heal. These sutures will dis- There is no humane alternative to the removal of dead, infected,
solve with time so they don’t need to be removed later on. In unstable, or painful teeth. If a tooth is broken, root canal therapy
most cases, pain control medications are prescribed to use for might be an option rather than removal of the tooth, particularly in
several days after the extraction to be sure that your pet remains the important (strategic) teeth.
pain free.
Additional procedures planned for your pet at the same time AUTHORIZATION
as the dental extractions: By signing this form below, you agree that:
• You understand how/why the procedure is likely to help your
____________________________________________________________ pet

From Cohn and Côté: Clinical Veterinary Advisor, 4th edition. Copyright © 2020 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.