Dentistry & Oral Surgery

Advanced Veterinary Dentistry & Oral Surgery Solutions:

The veterinary dentistry and oral surgery services at Puget Sound Veterinary Specialists offers routine dental care as well as treatment of advanced dental and oral diseases in dogs and cats. We work in a state-of-the-art dental suite equipped with digital radiography, rotary endodontic instrumentation, an air-driven dental unit, and a piezoelectric oral surgery unit to ensure that your pets receive the highest standard of oral care with advanced veterinary dentistry. We also frequently partner and consult with other specialty services in the practice including ophthalmology, oncology, and surgery to provide comprehensive care for your pet.

Periodontal (gum) disease is the most common disease of cats and dogs. Periodontal and other dental diseases can be painful and seriously affect the general health and quality of life of an individual, yet animals usually conceal their discomfort, so clinical signs can be very subtle. Possible signs that your pet is suffering from dental disease include bad breath, changes in chewing behaviors (e.g. difficulty eating hard food), excessive drooling, pawing at the face, bleeding, or recessed gums, and tooth loss. When properly diagnosed, most dental conditions are treatable and carry an excellent prognosis. Clients commonly report a dramatic improvement in their pets’ attitude, appetite, and overall health after dental disease has been treated.

Many tooth-sparing procedures are now available to veterinary patients to overcome their dental disease without the pain of dental extractions. The following procedures and before and after photos here are examples of our advanced veterinary dentistry services offered at Puget Sound Veterinary Specialists.

Our Procedures:

Periodontal treatment (i.e. treatment of gum disease)
Dental cleaning/prophylaxis
Involved periodontal scaling (root planing)
Periodontal surgery
Gingivectomy
Guided tissue regeneration
Simple and surgical extractions and crown amputations
Endodontic treatment (i.e. treatment of fractured or non-vital/“dead” teeth)
Standard and surgical root canal therapy
Management of malocclusion
Deciduous (i.e. “baby”) tooth extractions
Crown-height reduction with vital pulp therapy
Orthodontic appliances (e.g. “braces”)
Management of stomatitis
Restorations of cavities and enamel defects
Crowns
Surgical biopsies and oral tumor staging
Oral tumor excision
Maxillectomy/mandibulectomy
Palatal defect (e.g. cleft palate) repair
Maxillofacial trauma (e.g. jaw fracture) repair
Salivary gland excision

What To Expect During Your Appointment

Your scheduled visit begins with telephone check-in. Following a small amount of paperwork, you will be greeted at your vehicle by one or two veterinary technicians and assistants. They will ask you questions about your animal’s history and current health, then they will bring your pet into the building for the physical examination with the clinician. We appreciate your patience and understanding in allowing curbside service during the Covid-19 pandemic. The clinician will then speak with you to discuss the diagnosis, recommendations, cost, and logistics of treatment.

LINDSEY SCHNEIDER, DVM, DAVDC

DIPLOMATE, AMERICAN VETERINARY DENTAL COLLEGE

Dr. Lindsey Schneider was born and raised in the Iowa heartland, where family values and friendliness were engrained from an early age. She always knew she wanted to care for the health and well-being of animals as a veterinarian, but her enthusiasm for teeth did not develop until much later. Her light-bulb moment came during a vet school lecture on dentistry: this discipline was the perfect combination of her interests in diagnostic imaging, surgery, and lifelong patient care. If you have ever had a toothache, then you may understand what many companion animals experience daily as a result of dental diseases. Dr. Schneider is passionate about educating clients on oral health and working alongside your family veterinarian to develop comprehensive treatment plans to provide your pets with happy, healthy mouths.

Dr. Schneider’s love of learning led her to study economics and English as an undergraduate at the University of Iowa before delving into a career in veterinary medicine. She attended Cornell University in Ithaca, NY for veterinary school and received her DVM in 2013. Dr. Schneider then completed a rotating internship at the Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson, followed by three years in small animal general practice in Colorado. In 2017, she had the opportunity to return to her alma mater, Cornell University, to complete a three-year residency in dentistry and oral surgery. It was there that she finally could pursue her passion for teeth full-time and hone her skills in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Dr. Schneider loves all aspects of veterinary dentistry and oral surgery, from treating periodontal disease and broken teeth to removing oral tumors and repairing cleft palates and jaw fractures. She also has a special interest in zoo dentistry; she relishes the opportunity to improve the quality of life for wildlife ambassadors who often suffer from dental disease secondary to captive behaviors such as cage-biting. Dr. Schneider has taken four trips to The Belize Zoo in Central America to provide dental care—including root canal therapy and tooth extractions—on zoo animals ranging from jaguars to tapirs.

Her constant companion for the past 13 years has been a Jack Russell terrier named Pancake who loves hiking, chasing tennis balls, and swimming most of all. Pancake and Lindsey are looking forward to spending time on the water and exploring the beautiful scenery and bountiful outdoor activities in Washington State.