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Buccal Pad Separators

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Laura-CCC4

Laura-CCC4

Senior Guinea Pig
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I have a set of these and am fine with putting the thin separator pads into the mouth. I am just too scared to let go of the pads though. I would be perfectly fine and more than happy using them, if the sharpish ends (inside the spiral which holds the cheeks apart) were covered though - it is the fear of the separators getting stuck and then catching the cheek as I remove them. I know the skill of removing them but am just not completely comfortable with the design.
Does anyone know a way of covering those ends? I will post pics of the part I mean I want covered as and when I can.
 
Hmmm, I *think* I've read somewhere about giving them a rubber coating... something Vikki found on how to make your own! You can dip them in it and coat them... will try and find out more

Sophie
x
 
I totally agree Laura. I bought some from Vedra when one of my late boars had teeth trouble and it always worried me that I might catch the inside of his cheeks so I always bottled out of actually letting them go completely, just in case, which is a bit pointless really! Rubber coating or similar sounds perfect.
 
I bought some not that long ago and have used them with some degree of success. There are no sharp bits on mine and to be honest I find them a bit too weedy really. I put them in, let them go to seperate out and I can see the molars but only flashes here and there, before my pigs start wriggling about and I take them out. Maybe I am doing the towel wrapping technique wrong?

I have more success with the otoscope really, when I just pop it in the mouth and see the molars via that. But with that, the tongue gets in the way and I just see flashes of molars and then flashes of tongue! The pad thing isn't working out that great for me. Any tips?
Charlotte x
 
furryfriends said:
I've just come across this when doing a google search to see if I could find anything about giving them a rubber coating. This all seems a bit scary. It's from a couple of years ago so have they been adapted at all to stop something like this happening?

http://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32718&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
Click to expand...

I remember when this was posted, the person who was doing it is an exceptionally experienced owner/rescuer. The thought alone terrifies me and I definitely won't ever use them myself on a guinea pig.
 
Oh no that was a terrible little read, poor piggie :...

mine don't look like that at all. i bought mine only a few weeks ago so maybe this is the new design? although probably not... as this picture (which mine look just like) is off the Peter Gurney site. no coil or sharp bits which could jab the skin... see pic
charlotte x
 
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Thanks for all your thoughts. These are the set I have:
BuccalPadSeparators.jpg

I'd much prefer to set like yours Charlotte! I bought mine just in December.

I wouldn't normally have the confidence to do something like this without having hands-on tuition, which I have had. I don't advise using anything without some hands-on guidance. I wouldn't use any dental equipment without seeing it used, having it thoroughly explained and guided through it myself. But with these separators, and with the American lady's past experience it mind, I'm just to scared to let go!

Charlotte, do you have the stronger pads also to hold the mouth open? The section you show only separates the cheek pads, there are another set which hold the incisors apart and open the mouth right up.
 
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Mine are the same as yours Laura, I agree, Charlottes seem much better. I too have read the GL post and it put me off using mine, despite having been shown/had hands on tuition on numerous occasions by a lady trained by Vedra!

Is the separator shown all you have Charlotte, mine, like Laura's is in two parts one to open the mouth, the other to keep the cheeks out of the way. Where did you get yours Charlotte?
 
Hello, yes I have two parts. Camera not at hand though so I just found that pic off the internet. Oh - I much prefer mine too! I certainly wouldn't be brave enough to have a go with the others - I don't like the look of that bit of wire that curls around to make the spiral bit that goes in the mouth. I guess that's the part that poked in that little piggie's mouth on that other link that was posted. Mine have no rough bits or bits that can get 'stuck'. I've spoken to my vet about it all (who's very good with guineas and trims my Fuzzypeg's teeth every 8 weeks, without anesthetic) but I'd really like to be able to be a bit more hands on myself. Maybe I could get him to give me a little tutorial. He did with the scope. Obviously I don't do anything but have the odd look with my scope and the pad serarators. I'd just wish I had the technique under wraps a bit better with the separators, so I could keep an eye on the teeth myself and then take him to the vet as and when. There's only one thing for it - I'm going to book myself onto a dental workshop with Vedra. I'm in Norwich so not that far away from Cambs. Then maybe I can be a bit more hands on. I certainly wouldn't dare do anything other than look at the moment, but even my view of the molars is limited with my current technique.

Will put another post on here tomorrow once I've looked up the old receipt of where I got my equipment from. It actually came in a posh rodent dental kit that cost me about £150 but I'm sure you can buy them separately. Needless to say the other tools in the kit haven't even been touched... gosh I'd never try anything without proper training... but I bought them with the good intention of doing the RHA and G-BAR courses at CCT. Maybe I will be able to use them one day!

Charlotte x
 
Just had a quick search and they were from vet-direct on the internet.

the kit that I've got is similar to the one on there at £91, but not exactly the same. Bit of a ridiculous purchase really, but I had two pigs suffering with maloclusion at the time and I was really down in the dumps about it, plus it was late at night when my internet shopping usually spirals out of control, and I suddenly had the bright idea of doing some courses and proper training to see if I could get a few practical skills under my belt. Apart from the pad separators the kit has just sat in the drawer.

Has anyone been on that Sunday half day dental workshop at CCT? What exactly do you learn - towel wrapping and looking into the mouth with the seperators? My pigs are so wriggly that I've pretty much given up looking - I just ship them to my vet regularly and let him deal with it.

charlotte x
 
I've got a piggy with dental problems and we go weekly to see Simon, my vet, who has found little and often works best for Poppet. I wouldn't consider trying to do anything on her teeth myself. I have got a fantastic vet though, so I guess that makes a huge difference.
 
maybe those ones with the spiral bits, unlike my ones with the flat pads, are just to hold the incisors? makes sense that the flat pad ones like mine hold the cheeks apart because surely the coiled wire bit would not give enough surface area, in turn allowing movement enough to pop though the cheek flesh? oh dear, makes me feel bad just thinking about it. i don't blame you for not trying - there's no way I'd dare
charlotte x
 
OMG that poor, poor pig. There's no way i'd be trying to use them on any of my piggies - i would have a complete egg if anything happened, i'll leave it to the experts :)
 
The wire separators in the photo by CCC4 need adjusting, there should be no gap between the end of the wire and the coil itself. This adjustment, by a pair of fine-nosed pliers, will minimise any risk of the cheek being caught by the wire.
It is sometimes necessary to bend either/or both separators to fit the size of the pigs mouth, [*]properly adjusted[/*] you will have clear vision into the mouth.
 
This is my pic they used on guinealynx http://www.guinealynx.info/teeth.html
It was taken a few years ago not long after I started doing dental work. I now find it easier to rest the thicker ones behind the teeth to keep the mouth open. I also use a head torch which is fantastic at lighting up the mouth (although I look like an idiot doing it rolleyes) and allows me to see what I need to to trim the teeth with the bone roungers. I have been doing dental work on piggies for years and never once had them get stuck in a piggies mouth although I think the designs may have changed slightly since I brought mine? I also use a flat ended dental tool which I brought off the internet and find it great for moving the tongue/cheek aside to examine further.

Charlotte - I am also in Norwich if you want me to show you how to use the equipment properly ;)
 
I am bringing this old thread back up again because I have had success! Happy days!

I bought some of the Plasti Dip Rubber Coating discussed earlier in this thread, and recommended on the GL pages. Marvellous stuff, I feel so much more confident about examining teeth!

The GL pages recommend blowing a hole so the wire itself it coated and not the gap between the wires, but I chose to allow it to dry solid with no gaps as my specific concern has always been the pigs very fleshy cheeks, I would rather have a more solid surface to hold those cheeks out of the way.

I am so impressed, very happy.

Separators with no coating:
BuccalPadSeparatorsCloseEnd.jpg


Separators with coating:
BuccalPadEndsSafe.jpg


Much safer, no chance of piggies cheeks getting caught on these!
BuccalPadSeparatorsRubber.jpg
 
Hi Guys

This is my Dental Kit

Consisting of

Bone Rongeurs, Various Buccal Pad Spreaders and Verious size Diamond Rasps

DentalTools011280x768.jpg


As you can see I have a number of Buccal Pad spreaders both of the twisted wire type and the flate plate type.

I have also just ordered some of the Plasti Dip as that is a brilliant idea

DentalTools021280x768.jpg


Paul & Jeanette
 
can i be cheeky and ask how much all that kit set you back? Are some of the bits for rabbits rather than guineas?
 
Hi

That lot came to about £200 from various supplies

Some from CCT

Some from a Vetinery Equipment Suppler in the USA

Some from eBay

The Buccal pad spreaders that have the long plates on them are supposed to be for Guineas but I would only use them on a realy big one and they dont go in the normal way, its difficult to explain but basicaly only the plates go in and the wire spring is left out of the mouth.

Paul & Jeanette
 
Whats that they say about a picture being worth a thousand words

This is how I use the long ones, I hope its clear looking at this picture.

Dentaltools031280x768.jpg



Thats one strange looking Guinea Pig I have their isn't it
 
Funny, I had one of them here too! :))

Thanks for the pics of your dental set, very impressive. At the moment I can use the incisor rasps and now the separators, not trained enough to be let loose the with ronguers yet!
 
I must admit the Rounuers do take a bit of courage to use the first time but you do soon get the knack of it.

Paul & Jeanette
 
I have been practicing today, Jasmine and four of the boys had the fun of being wrapped up and their mouths unceremoniously opened wide.

I was a bit shaky at first but soon as I experienced for myself that there's just no way the separators can get stuck now, I found my confidence. Even managed to let go of the cheek-pad separators and put the vertical set in as well!

Only thing with them being rubber coated is that they slip out more easily - which is kind of the idea of rubber coating them, it just means that you must ensure the pad separators are placed as far back as possible so the pigs cannot spit them out, you need to get that skill down to a T before trying anything else. And the pigs really do try to spit them out! Took me three pigs to get the hang of placing them in such a position that they can't spit them out. Very pleased though, first time I have used the separators in over a year, and the first time I have used both the cheek and jaw (vertical) separators.
 
well done you! hope everyones teeth are fine and no need for any dentistry
 
Wouldn't know if there was, too much food sitting in their mouths! Easily rectified by giving them a drink of course, I didn't really bother as it was more the skill of putting the separators in that I wanted to practice.

Have to say though, from what little I did see, piggie molars are impossibly cute.
 
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