For the next several weeks, we're sharing exclusive Q&A sessions from The Definitive Veterinary Extraction Protocol, recorded live during the July 2026 course.
As a listener of The Vet Dental Show, you have a limited-time opportunity to purchase the complete course for $300 off before its official release.
Learn more and enroll here:
https://ivdi.org/extract
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Host: Dr. Brett Beckman, DVM, FAVD, DAVDC, DAAPM
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In this episode, Dr. Brett Beckman tackles a question veterinarians hear all the time: "My pet is eating normally, so how could they be in dental pain?"
Dr. Beckman explains why significant oral pain can exist without the obvious signs owners expect to see. Pets living with chronic dental disease may continue eating, sleeping, and interacting normally, making discomfort difficult to recognize until after treatment. Often, the most compelling evidence comes at the recheck, when owners report behaviors they haven't seen in yearsβplaying with toys again, becoming more active, eating better, or simply acting younger.
He also discusses how veterinarians can communicate dental pain more effectively when owners are hesitant about treatment and why client education, testimonials, and reviews can help reinforce the value of veterinary dental care.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
π― How to explain dental pain when owners don't see obvious symptoms
π― Why eating normally does not necessarily rule out chronic oral pain
π― Behavioral changes owners may recognize only after dental treatment
π― How to frame conversations about recommended dental extractions
π― Why cost, anesthesia concerns, and limited education can affect treatment decisions
π― When Dr. Beckman considers intraoperative antibiotics for periodontal disease
π― Which antibiotic classes he uses in severe periodontal cases
π― How he manages extraction site dehiscence
π― When odor may influence the decision to prescribe antibiotics
π― Why a dehisced extraction site may be allowed to heal by second intention
Key Veterinary Dentistry Takeaways
π Pets with chronic oral disease may not vocalize or display obvious signs of pain. Continued eating does not necessarily indicate a comfortable mouth.
π Post-treatment behavioral changes can reveal how much chronic dental disease was affecting a patient. Owners may report renewed interest in toys, increased activity, improved eating, or other behaviors that had gradually disappeared.
π Client hesitation about dental treatment may involve financial concerns, anesthesia fears, or uncertainty about the significance of oral disease. Clear education helps owners make better-informed decisions.
π In Dr. Beckman's practice, intraoperative antibiotics are used in a minority of periodontal casesβapproximately 15%βprimarily in severe presentations. He describes using beta-lactams such as a cephalosporin or ampicillin.
π Extraction site dehiscence does not automatically mean another anesthetic procedure is necessary. Dr. Beckman discusses maintaining analgesia and allowing appropriate sites to heal by second intention rather than immediately attempting surgical revision.
Questions This Episode Answers
β Can a pet be in significant dental pain and still eat normally?
β Why don't dogs and cats always show obvious signs of oral pain?
β What changes might owners notice after painful dental disease is treated?
β What should veterinarians tell owners who don't believe their pet is uncomfortable?
β When are intraoperative antibiotics used during veterinary dental procedures?
β Which antibiotics does Dr. Beckman use for severe periodontal cases?
β What should you do if a dental extraction site dehisces?
β Does extraction site dehiscence always require antibiotics?
β Should a dehisced extraction site be surgically closed again?
β Can veterinary oral extraction sites heal by second intention?
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Ready to take your dentistry skills further?
π FREE RACE-Approved CE Course
https://ivdi.org/free
π¦· Live & Online Veterinary Dental Courses
https://veterinarydentistry.net/
π οΈ Dr. Brett's Trusted Equipment & Instruments
https://drbrettspets.com/
π» Save $300 on The Definitive Veterinary Extraction Protocol β limited-time offer:
https://ivdi.org/extract
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