Dental X-Rays

Here are Fairfield House Vets we try to keep up to date with the most recent advancements and recommendations in veterinary medicine. There is increasing evidence that, just like in human dentistry, dental X-Rays are required to provide a full picture of what is going on inside your pet’s mouth.

Therefore, we have recently invested in a new dental X-Ray machine. If your pet is coming in for a dental there will be a set charge of £40, which includes as many dental X-Rays that your pet requires during the procedure.

Why are Dental X-Rays Important?

The visible part of the tooth that sits above the gumline is called the crown. However, up to 75% of the tooth structure is below the gumline – the root, periodontal ligament and pulp cavity are all not visible to us without a dental X-Ray.

Feline Dentistry

Dental X-Rays are especially important in feline dentistry. This is because cats very commonly get a disease called tooth resorption, where cells called odontoclasts destroy and dissolve the tooth, later replacing it with bone. This is a painful and irreversible disease and the only treatment is extraction of the affected teeth. Because the disease starts with the tooth root below the gumline and only starts affecting the visible crown of the tooth much later in the disease process, we cannot know which teeth are affected without taking radiographs.

Below shows an image of a normal tooth on dental X-Ray compared to a tooth that is undergoing tooth resorption in the three images below the main one.

Dental X-Rays can also be used in a number of other situations, including to assess for pulp necrosis, periodontal disease, jaw fractures and retained root fragments.

Get in touch

If you have any concerns about your pet’s teeth or dental health please feel free to ring the practice on  01825 864268 to book an appointment and one of our vets can check them over.