| General Dental Care - Keeping your pets teeth and gums clean and healthy is an important part of an overall health care plan for your pet. All pets over the age of 3-5 years that have had no previous dental care most likely have some degree of tarter build up and will need to have their teeth cleaned. |
| How can I tell if my pets teeth need to be cleaned? |
Signs that your dog or cats teeth may need attention include foul breath - "doggie breath" is not normal!! Drooling and difficulty eating dry food are also indicators of potential problems. To check their teeth it as a simple matter of lifting their upper lips back to reveal their teeth. Make sure that you check all the teeth including the large upper premolar and molars at the very back of the mouth. Healthy teeth are clean and white with no discoloration or plaque or tartar buildup. Healthy gums are pink, not swollen or inflammed and do not bleed easily. |
What happens if I don't get their teeth cleaned?  |
Generally tooth decay is less common in dogs and cats than gum disease. If left unchecked, plaque and tarter will build up and cause the gums and the structures holding the tooth in place to become infected. This results in erosion and weakening of the root support structure. The tooth itself may not be decayed, but if the root structure becomes sufficiently damaged, the tooth will eventually fall out. Plaque and tarter are also great places for bacteria to accumulate. In conjunction with gingivitis (gum inflammation) bacteria may enter the blood stream and end up at other sites of the body such as the heart and kidneys and cause potentially serious problems there. |
| What is involved in getting my pets teeth cleaned? |
Dental cleanings are usually done under a general anesthesia.
Prior to anesthesia, a complete pre-anesthetic exam and bloodwork are performed.
This is to detect any underlying problems such as diabetes, heart disease, or kidney failure prior to anesthesia.
At our clinic, we only use sevoflurane gas anesthesia, which is the safest anesthetic we have available. Pets recover quickly and are allowed to go home the same day as the dental procedure.
The teeth are cleaned using an ultrasonic scaler the same way your dentist cleans your teeth. Some areas may also require hand scaling. Following a thorough cleaning, the gums are checked for any deep pockets that may indicate gum disease, and the teeth are checked for any loose ones as well as for signs of decay.
Dental x-rays are taken of any questionable areas to allow us to make a better decision regarding the best treatment for each individual tooth.
Extractions are only done on teeth that cannot be saved by any other means. |
| What happens after the teeth are cleaned? |
That is up to you! Unfortunately once tarter has developed, a dental cleaning needs to be scheduled to remove it. It is possible however to decrease the rate at which new tarter will build back up. This is achieved by regular brushing, ideally daily, but at least three times a week. There is also a product called Oravet that acts as a sealant on your pets teeth.
The use of tartar control treats such as Greenies, CET chews, or a tartar control diet such as Science Diet T/D is beneficial in delaying tartar buildup |
