In place of what have traditionally been called dentals is the new acronym, COHAT. It embraces the entire process to ensure that a pet’s mouth is healthy by diagnosing and fixing any issues that are present.
“COHAT stands for Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment. The term helps convey the importance and value of having a pet’s entire mouth checked regularly,” explained Mallory Kanwal, DVM.
Source: The News-Gazette, September 16, 2019. Link. (via NAVTA Aniimal Health Bi-Weekly)
“Any animal that has teeth should have their teeth routinely checked by a veterinarian . . . certain species need more dental treatment than others.” – Mallory Kanwal, DVM
INSIGHTS: Establishing COHAT language could help build veterinary dentistry. Mixed practices can take the lead by applying the acronym in a multi-species environment and including COHAT assessments as a line item on invoices and vet records.