Once and for all-what's the big deal about veterinary dental radiography?

You don't have dental radiography capabilities in your veterinary practice yet? The implications of a lack of intraoral imaging equipment are starting to mount-for your patients' health and now for your practice's legal security. 

“Taking dental radiographs for our patients is extremely important,” says Dr. Heidi Lobprise, a veterinary dentist with Main Street Veterinary Hospital and Dental Clinic in Flower Mound, Texas. “When we look at dental disease, periodontal disease, broken teeth-so much of the disease is underneath the gum line. And there's no way we can even guess what's going on without taking radiographs.”

Missed underlying disease or even jaw fracture caused by extraction can result if you haven't seen the whole picture beforehand.

Lobprise cites a recent issue of the AVMA PLIT newsletter that presents three cases in which a lack of dental radiography was not a defense for iatrogenic jaw fractures that occurred during dental treatment.

Indeed, within that newsletter, it says, “Jaw fractures and retained tooth roots are some of the more common dental claims reported, and you can avoid both scenarios with dental radiography.”

Lobprise says, “For a practice that doesn't have dental radiography, they are taking a bit of risk when they're looking at patients that have dental disease, whether they're trying to treat with periodontal treatment or extractions.”

Hear it all straight from Lobprise in the video below: