Dental health is an important foundation for healthy animals. Our pet’s teeth are an often overlooked problematic area. If you pull back your dog’s or cat’s lips you may see what our pet physicians see all too frequently, tartar and gum disease. Tartar and dental calculus are made up of bacteria and debris and act to cause problems not only in the mouth but in other areas of the body. As animals chew, it is possible for the bacteria adhered to their teeth to travel into their bloodstream and localize in various organs, causing problems throughout their body. Another area of concern with dental disease is your pet’s comfort. Many animals are stoic and frequently do not show their owners how much they are in pain. Dental calculus and gum disease can be painful, and this can cause your best friend discomfort with every chew. Once dental calculus has adhered to the teeth, the only way for it to be removed is via dental instrumentation.

A dental cleaning for dogs and cats involves general anesthesia. This allows us to do a thorough oral examination including a tooth by tooth assessment of periodontal health, and measurement and recording of any periodontal pockets indicative of infection or bone resorption. We also have a new dental x-ray machine to further evaluate problem areas in the mouth and jaw. Dental radiographs also function as an important record of your pet’s dental history. Then we do an ultrasonic scaling of teeth to remove soft and hard calculus present. Next is a hand polishing with dental abrasive, followed by tooth by tooth application of dental fluoride to harden and protect the dental enamel.

For maintenance care of your pet’s teeth after a dental cleaning, we recommend brushing your pet’s teeth 3-4 times weekly with a veterinary approved toothpaste.
Prior to all anesthesic events, we recommend a pre-anesthetic laboratory profile to test the abilities and functions of your pet’s internal organs to ensure the safest anesthesia possible.

Please call today to schedule your pet’s dental cleaning. Also see our online forms which can be filled out at home to expedite the admissions process.

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