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 -- Host: Dr. Brett Beckman, DVM, FAVD, DAVDC, DAAPM -- In this episode, Dr. Brett Beckman answers practical questions about extraction workflow, anesthesia considerations, dental instrument maintenance, bur selection, suture materials, extraction site management, flap healing, and preventing postoperative dehiscence. He explains why the decision to extract and suture one quadrant at a time can have important implications for patient safety—particularly when anesthesia monitoring and dental staffing are limited. He also breaks down why bur design matters when creating a groove alongside a canine tooth, which needles and suture sizes he prefers for oral surgery, and how proper flap technique and postoperative protection can help prevent dehiscence. What You'll Learn in This Episode 🎯 Whether to extract and suture each dental quadrant individually or complete multiple quadrants before closure 🎯 How anesthesia monitoring can influence extraction and suturing workflow 🎯 Why regional nerve blocks can help maintain a lighter anesthetic plane during dental procedures 🎯 How coordinating postoperative dental radiographs can improve procedural efficiency 🎯 When and how to sharpen periosteal elevators, luxators, elevators, and curettes 🎯 Why dental scissors may be better sent out for professional sharpening 🎯 Why a #699 or #701 crosscut bur is preferred over a round bur when creating a lateral groove beside a canine tooth 🎯 How round burs can increase the risk of inadvertently engaging the tooth during bone removal 🎯 Which suture sizes and needle types Dr. Beckman uses in cats, very small dogs, and larger patients 🎯 Why reverse-cutting needles are preferred over taper needles for oral soft tissue 🎯 How much PerioVive may be needed in extraction sites and periodontal pockets 🎯 Why extending a mucoperiosteal flap over adjacent teeth does not inherently create periodontal pockets 🎯 How tension, patient interference, toys, and rough activity can contribute to postoperative dehiscence Key Veterinary Dentistry Takeaways 🔑 Completing and closing one quadrant before moving to another may be the safer approach in many general practices, particularly when there is greater potential for an unexpected anesthetic event. 🔑 When anesthesia is carefully monitored and effective nerve blocks are used, maintaining a lighter anesthetic plane may allow greater flexibility in extraction, radiography, and closure workflow. 🔑 Dental instruments should be sharpened routinely after they are cleaned so elevators, luxators, periosteal elevators, and curettes are ready for the next procedure. 🔑 A crosscut bur such as a #699 or #701 provides better control when removing bone alongside a canine tooth than a round bur, which can more readily engage the tooth. 🔑 For oral surgery, Dr. Beckman uses 5-0 Monocryl with a P3 needle in cats and very small dogs and 4-0 Monocryl with a PS3 or PS2 needle in other patients. 🔑 Reverse-cutting needles are preferred for oral soft tissue because taper needles do not penetrate this tissue as effectively and may traumatize delicate feline gingiva. 🔑 Only a small amount of PerioVive may be necessary. Dr. Beckman describes approximately 0.2–0.3 mL for a large extraction site such as a maxillary fourth premolar and even less for periodontal pockets. 🔑 Properly elevated and repositioned oral flaps can rapidly reattach to the underlying tissues and should not inherently create periodontal pockets around adjacent teeth. 🔑 Excessive tension and postoperative trauma are major contributors to flap dehiscence following veterinary dental extractions. 🔑 E-collars and strict postoperative instructions can be especially important after rostral extractions to prevent patients, toys, other animals, or rough activity from disrupting the surgical site. Questions This Episode Answers ❓ Should you extract and suture one dental quadrant at a time? ❓ Is it safe to leave one extraction quadrant open while working on another? ❓ How should anesthesia risk influence veterinary dental extraction workflow? ❓ How often should veterinary dental instruments be sharpened? ❓ Which dental instruments can be sharpened in the veterinary practice? ❓ Should scissors be sharpened in-house or professionally? ❓ Should you use a round bur to create a groove alongside a canine tooth? ❓ Why are #699 and #701 crosscut burs useful during canine tooth extraction? ❓ What suture size should be used for cats and small dogs after dental extractions? ❓ Should veterinary oral surgery use a taper or reverse-cutting needle? ❓ How much PerioVive should be placed in an extraction site? ❓ Can extending a dental flap over adjacent premolars create periodontal pockets? ❓ What causes extraction flap dehiscence after veterinary oral surgery? ❓ When should an E-collar be used following dental extractions? ❓ How can veterinarians reduce the risk of postoperative extraction site complications? -- Ready to take your dentistry skills further? 🎓 FREE RACE-Approved CE Course https://ivdi.org/free 🦷 Live & Online Veterinary Dental Courses https://veterinarydentistry.net/ 🛠️ Dr. Brett's Trusted Equipment & Instruments https://drbrettspets.com/ 💻 Save $300 on The Definitive Veterinary Extraction Protocol — limited-time offer: https://ivdi.org/extract -- YouTube Cards Card Title: Master Dental Extractions Call to Action: Improve Your Technique Teaser Text: Avoid Extraction Mistakes -- veterinary dental extraction, veterinary tooth extraction, veterinary extraction technique, canine tooth extraction, veterinary dental surgery, veterinary oral surgery, veterinary dental suturing, veterinary dental suture material, veterinary dental needle selection, reverse cutting needle veterinary, veterinary dental bur selection, 699 crosscut bur, 701 crosscut bur, canine extraction bur technique, veterinary dental instrument sharpening, veterinary luxator sharpening, veterinary elevator sharpening, veterinary extraction site closure, dental flap dehiscence dog, veterinary mucoperiosteal flap, veterinary dental anesthesia, veterinary nerve blocks, veterinary dental complications, veterinary dentistry, canine dental extraction, feline dental extraction, veterinary dentistry continuing education, veterinary dental CE, veterinary dentistry podcast, veterinary dental training, The Vet Dental Show, Dr Brett Beckman
