Dental Radiographs Simplified Dental Tip #1

Dental Radiographs…

Have you ever done this?

You’ve just set up for that perfect dental film.

You need to capture that interdental space to see how far the periodontal disease has progressed.

The plate, (held by owner–in gown, with holder), is finally perfectly positioned.

You’re finally ready. One click, and your sedated patient shifts his feet. His head moves. Arggghhhh…

Big breath.

Start over…

Repeat…

It’s just too hard to take films on a moving target.

Sound too familiar?

Here’s help!

Since using my Equi-Still Portable Equine Stocks, the quality of my dental radiographs has improved sight out of mind.

A horse (or other equid: read horse, pony, donkey) is so much more stable in these solid stocks than standing free. Sedated equids lean against the solid wooden side or the padded front (or rear, depending upon positioning!) and can find the stability and relaxation that is lacking with unsupported sedation. This enhanced stability minimizes the frequency of startle responses commonly seen when patients move and find they cannot balance under sedation.

 

SO HOW DO I GET THAT IMAGE?

I like to place a folding table with a thick sponge pad on its surface in front of my sedated patient in the stocks. It’s important to have butorphanol on board for that nice head droop. This combination provides me with a stable head in a nice position for easily taking dental and other skull-oriented radiographs.

 

What’s that you say? The zebra at the Auckland Zoo? Sorry, I haven’t been able to get the zebra off the ground and into the stocks yet… general anaesthesia at this point, but hoping we can try sometime!

Come on by here for more images of Itika and Lizzi!

Equi-Still: Safety and Versatility: #Don’tBreakYourVet!