Animal Dental Care & Oral Surgery Fort Collins

03/28/2025

Skye, a 5-month-old Border Collie mix, came to see us because her deciduous (aka baby) canine teeth were retained, meaning they didn't fall out when they were supposed to. Her primary care vet noticed the problem and was worried about the baby canines affecting the normal eruption of the adult canines. Her lower canines (both the deciduous and permanent teeth) were also pushing into the roof of her mouth, which was painful. Skye's lower canine teeth are linguoverted (commonly called "base narrow"), meaning they point more straight up and down instead of angling out to the sides like they should. Since the adult lower canine teeth erupt lingually (on the inside) of the baby teeth, the baby teeth were preventing the adult teeth from erupting normally. If the deciduous canines were not removed, the adult teeth would continue to erupt towards the tongue. Skye had all four baby canine teeth extracted. This will give the adult teeth room to grown in properly. In some cases, the adult canines may still erupt linguoverted and continue to cause trauma to the palate. If this is the case, Skye will require more treatment. Treatment options for linguoverted adult canines include a type of orthodontic appliance known as an "inclined plane", which helps tip the lower canines into the right position, or a procedure called crown reduction where the teeth are shortened so they're not causing damage or pain. If crown reduction is performed, it must be accompanied by vital pulp treatment, which keeps the tooth alive and healthy after it is cut short.

Skye recovered well from her procedure, and we will see her back in a few weeks to reassess her adult teeth. Hopefully they grow in normally, but if not, with the right treatment Skye will still grow up to be a happy and healthy girl with a comfortable and functional mouth!

03/28/2025

Did you know that Elephant molars can weigh up to 5lbs?

Check out this great article below to learn more interesting facts about Elephant molars!

https://wildlifesos.org/the-role-of-molar-teeth-in-age-determination-of-elephants/

03/25/2025

Meet Rachel!

Rachel is one of ADC's techs! Rachel has been with our practice since we were located within Four Seasons.

Rachel is a Colorado native who spent her childhood in Longmont, then in 2016 moved here to Fort Collins to attend Front Range Community College, she graduated in 2019 with an A.A.S in Veterinary Technology then became an RVT in 2020. Rachel first worked in general practice where her love for big breed dogs grew along with her interest in vet dentistry.

Now Rachel is pursuing her growing passion for veterinary technician specialty focusing on dentistry, she is hoping to be credentialed, becoming a vet tech specialist by 2027. Outside of working towards her future goals Rachel has a love for rock climbing, spending time with her dog Dexter, learning to speak Korean all while enjoying trying new restaurants with her boyfriend and loved ones.

03/21/2025

FUN FACT FRIDAY! 🧐

Did you know that a narwhal's tusk is actually a tooth?

Check out these great articles to learn more about these beautiful creatures!

https://www.popsci.com/environment/narwhal-tusk/

https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2019/03/08/exactly-narwhal-tusk/

03/20/2025

We had a treat on Monday when we got to meet a very special kitty – Gomez! Gomez is an Oriental Shorthair, a type of purebred cat that isn’t as common as some other purebred breeds like Maine C***s or Ragdolls. Oriental shorthairs are known for their triangular shaped head, lean bodies and big ears. They are social, intelligent and vocal.

Gomez was recently adopted and came to see us for his first oral exam since living in his new home. Like a lot of cats, Gomez had both tooth resorption and periodontal disease. Tooth resorption is a common and painful condition where the teeth are broken down and reabsorbed by the body. When tooth resorption affects the crown of a tooth, extraction is required to treat the painful condition. Periodontal disease is inflammation and/or infection of the structures holding the teeth in the mouth, such as the gums and supporting bone.

Gomez had a few dental extractions and recovered well from anesthesia. He went home with some pain medication and in a few weeks his mouth will be healed, and he’ll be back to his normal diet and activities!

03/20/2025

This cutie is Aedion, a 5 ½ year old Alaskan Malamute, came to us all the way from Roswell, New Mexico to fix his bottom canine tooth (404) that split right down the middle and was hanging by the gingiva (aka the gum tissue).

A good client of ours is Aedion’s breeder and she referred him and his owner to Dr. Redman and the team here at Animal Dental Care in Fort Collins. Aedion happened to get into a scuffle with another large dog, but he showed no pain and was happily licking, sniffing, and eating like nothing ever happened. This was most likely the cause of his tooth fracture. His case was very interesting due to the type of fracture, which was broken on not only just the crown but the root of the tooth too, which is hidden underneath the gumline. He luckily broke it just enough to be able to save with root canal treatment. Dr. Redman worked her magic and fixed his canine right up.

The pictures show 1. Aedion with his tooth hanging out, 2. A radiograph of the broken canine, 3. Radiographs of the root canal and 4. A 3D reconstruction of his skull that was made with our Cone Beam CT machine.

03/17/2025

Meet Meghan

Originally from Chicago, Meghan brings over 9 years of experience to the Animal Dental Care team. Meghan graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelors in Zoology in 2012. Shortly after graduation, she pursued a career as a Veterinary Technician and in 2015, Meghan graduated with an A.A.S in Veterinary Technology from Front Range Community College here in Fort Collins.

In the summer of 2020, Meghan decided to switch her focus to veterinary dentistry and joined Animal Dental Care as an RVT. Throughout the years, Meghan has explored her passion as a technician in anesthesia, dentistry and leadership. Since Animal Dental Care moved to their new location in Fort Collins in 2023, Meghan has been the practice manager, where she is driven by her commitment to support her dentistry team, provide excellent patient care and educate the community about the importance of oral health for cats and dogs.

Outside of work, Meghan enjoys playing soccer, golfing with her husband and anything that involves being outdoors! Meghan has an adorable baby boy who loves to smile, a talkative cat named Mr. Z and an incredible husband, Mark, who she loves to travel with.

03/14/2025

Meet Sam, a super handsome, loving, 12-year-old labrador retriever mix that presented to our hospital shortly after having a routine complete oral health assessment and treatment (COHAT) at his family veterinarian.

During that time, his family veterinarian observed some material used from previous root canal treatments protruding from his lower canine teeth. Sam had these root canal treatments when he was around one and a half years old which had remained successful up until this time. Fortunately, Sam was a good candidate to have these root canals re-performed, and his human companions opted to do so.

Re-doing a root canal is not an easy task; all of the material previously used needs to be removed which can be a test of skill and patience. Sam’s procedure was a success from start to finish thanks to Dr. McGuirk; he did wonderful under anesthesia, and his recovery was just as smooth. We are so happy we were able to help this sweet boy and save some really important chompers!

03/13/2025

Yesterday Dr. McGuirk had her "Understanding Malocclusions in Dogs" CE, we had a great time and wanted to thank everyone who attended this FREE event.

Interested in our upcoming events? Visit our website today to sign up for our email reminders when new events come up.

https://covetdentist.com/dental-ce-courses/

03/13/2025

Check out our latest blog post written by Dr. Siddall. 🐕🐩🦷

Knowing the common reasons for pet tooth extraction is the first step in helping your pet live a long, healthy life. Read on to learn more.

03/11/2025

03/11/2025

Check out Learn Veterinary Dentistry for more helpful information!

03/10/2025

Meet TORI! 😄📢

Tori was born in Nebraska and moved to Colorado to attend Colorado State University for Animal Sciences. She graduated from Colorado State in 2019 and then in 2021 decided to go back to school to obtain her veterinary technician license. Tori joined the Animal Dental Care team in June of 2024 after she graduated from Front Range Community College with an A.A.S in Veterinary Technology. Shortly after joining the team, she passed her national exam and officially became a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT).

Tori met her fiancé, Fowler, here in Colorado. Together they enjoy hiking, hunting, fishing (ice fishing is Tori's favorite), and early morning mountain drives. Tori is a bit hypocritical because she is an avid baker but also enjoys going to the gym and working out! Tori and her fiancé are set to get married this May. They have two dogs, Blue and Cooper, who keep them very busy.

03/07/2025

Ranger is a handsome 4-year-old Goldendoodle who saw us this week for two upper fourth premolars! While both of Ranger’s upper fourth premolars were fractured, only the left one had direct pulp exposure. When the pulp of a tooth is exposed, bacteria can get in and cause an infection, causing the pulp to die and sometimes causing an abscess. Treatment options for this type of tooth fracture include extraction and root canal treatment. Luckily, Ranger’s upper fourth premolar did not have an abscess and was a good candidate for root canal treatment. Ranger’s owners also chose to have a metal crown made to protect the tooth. After root canal treatment, the tooth was shaped to prepare for the crown and impressions were taken to send to the crown lab. The lab will send back a metal crown which will be fixed to Ranger’s tooth in about 2 weeks.
Ranger’s upper right fourth premolar was also broken but did not have direct pulp exposure. The fracture exposed the dentin, which is the material beneath the hard, white, shiny enamel and consists of the bulk of the tooth structure. Dentin is filled with tiny pores called dentinal tubules which can allow bacteria to reach the pulp when the dentin is exposed. Ranger had odontoplasty and bonded sealant performed on this tooth, which means the rough edges of the fracture were smoothed out and a sealant was applied to protect the dentin.
Ranger was such a sweet patient, and we can’t wait to see him back! He’ll be back in two weeks to have his metal crown placed and in one year to recheck both of his upper fourth premolars to be sure they remain infection-free!

03/06/2025

Attention! Our upcoming Feline and Canine oral surgery & extractions wet-labs courses in April are now FULL.

If you would like join our waitlist, please visit https://covetdentist.com/dental-ce-courses/ or give us a call at 970-732-9777.

03/06/2025

Check out our newest blog post written by Dr. Siddall where she discusses what IS safe, and what ISN'T safe for your dog to be chewing and playing with! 🐕🐩

Not all dog chew toys are created equal. Some can harm your dog's teeth. Find out what toys to avoid and safe alternatives.

03/03/2025

Since we are in a new year, with a few new faces on our team we are starting a new series of posts called "GET TO KNOW ME" where we are going to introduce a member of our team each week until we are done, up next is Marissa!

Marissa is the newest member to join our team as an RVT, she was born in Nebraska but grew up in Longmont, CO. In 2011 Marissa obtained her AAS in Veterinary Technology and has been working as a RVT ever since. She has a passion to explore and try new things. Being outside is her favorite thing to do, and she often does a polar plunge on the weekends with her friends. Marissa is a house plant enthusiast and loves having a garden every summer.

Marissa and her husband Richard been together for a decade, she currently has one dog named Hendrix, and a few chickens!

02/28/2025

Our feline Stomatitis trial is now OPEN!

If you have a patient diagnosed with feline Stomatitis suffering from any of the following symptoms:

-Licking Excessively
-Drooling
-Reduced grooming
-Vocalization
-Bleeding gums
-Ulcers in the mouth

They may qualify for our new stem cell treatment study we are doing with Gallant Therapeutics. If you are interested in more information, please visit Gallant's website
https://www.gallant.com/fcgs-info-pet-parent.

You can also check out our website https://covetdentist.com/fs005-trial-registration/ or give us a call at 970-732-9777 for more information.