We have a room devoted just to performing dental procedures, which gives the patient his/her own table, anesthetic machine, and monitoring equipment. Every procedure is overseen by a knowledgeable veterinarian and licensed technician.
Did you know?
A study by the American Veterinary Dental Society showed that 80% of dogs and 70% of cats had developed periodontal disease by 3 years of age, making dental disease the most prevalent disease in companion animals.
All pets receive a complete exam before every procedure. For a safe and thorough dental cleaning, anesthesia is essential to allow for a complete oral exam, gingival probing, oral radiographs, scaling of calculus beneath the gumline, and polishing. Abnormalities found are recorded on a dental chart and pictures are taken for reference. Radiographs will be taken of all of the teeth to identify any concerns that cannot be seen above the gumline. Based on the veterinarian’s findings and the radiographs, some teeth may need to be extracted to improve the overall health of your pet’s mouth.
Tooth Brushing Tips
To introduce brushing to your pet, use the following steps:
1. Let your pet lick the pet tooth paste off your finger-do this for about a month. NO HUMAN TOOTH PASTE!
2. Now your pet looks forward to the tasty tooth paste treat. The next step is to rub your tooth paste covered finger on your pet’s gums and teeth-only on the outside surfaces and their mouth can stay closed. Do this for another month.
3. Now your pet looks forward to his/her nightly gum massage. The last step is to introduce a pet toothbrush or kids toothbrush. Use in place of your finger and repeat step 2. It is important to go slow and take these steps because if your pet does not enjoy the brushing it becomes very difficult, even impossible, to do.
