We offer dental care as one of our primary services for pet owners. Your pet can’t brush his own teeth, so it requires at-home care and a professional dental cleaning on occasion to keep them in top health!

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Preventing Dental Disease

Your pet can become irritable if they start having dental problems. It may be time for professional teeth cleaning at the veterinarian’s office if you notice any of these symptoms:

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• Swollen gums

• Pain while chewing

• Bad breath

• Food falling out of pet’s mouth

• Bleeding gums

• Discoloration of the teeth

 

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The best way to avoid these problems is to bring your pet in once a year for a professional cleaning.

 

Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease can be very painful. It may lead to:

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• loose teeth

• abscesses

• bone loss

• infection

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As bacterial growth continues to increase, the bacteria may enter the bloodstream which can cause infection of the heart valves (endocarditis), liver, and kidneys.

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If treated by your veterinarian with special instruments and procedures, periodontal disease can be slowed or stopped.

 

Dental Hygiene

Dental exams, routine use of dental chews, specially designed dental-health diets, and professional dental scaling/polishing are important for a healthy mouth. If the tartar is not removed, it builds up under the gums. It separates the gums from the teeth to form “pockets” and encourages even more bacterial growth. At this point the damage, called periodontal disease, is irreversible.

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Dental Cleaning

Dental cleaning procedures require anesthesia for the health and safety of your pet. This keeps the pet from feeling anxious or swallowing harmful bacteria during the procedure. The animal’s teeth will be polished and any surface plaque will be scraped away. Broken or damaged teeth can be removed at this time if necessary, while the dog is under anesthesia. The pet is then given a fluoride treatment and a sealant is applied to the teeth.

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Having your dog’s teeth cleaned once a year prevents infection from building up below the gum line. This can be a bad health problem for a dog, since a gum infection can get into the bloodstream and spread to other organs in the body.

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At-Home Dental Care

Taking care of your dog’s teeth at home will make vet dental visits go that much easier. We can recommend products that you can use to care for your dog’s teeth at home. Once your dog gets used to it, brushing his teeth once a day can become a fun part of being a pet owner — and it helps to prevent plaque from building up on his teeth over the long run.

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If you’d like to schedule a dental cleaning, call our office at (858) 454-0354.