Therapeutic decision making and planning in veterinary dentistry and oral surgery.

Veterinary dentistry is an exacting science, in which decisions are made not only for an individual patient, but also for individual teeth, which may vary in severity of disease. Multiple therapeutic decisions and treatment plans may be necessary for a single patient. Veterinary dental patients must be anesthetized to receive thorough treatment, which results in additional decisions that may not be necessary for human dental patients. This article discusses considerations and approaches toward therapeutic decision making and treatment planning in veterinary dentistry and oral surgery.