Dental Care

Did you know that dogs need their teeth brushed 4 times a week?! Plaque turns to tartar in just a few days. Plaque has the potential to be brushed away, but tartar needs to be scaled off with an ultrasonic scaler. As the tartar continues to build, thick layers of stinky and discolored tartar become visible on the teeth. Sometimes the tartar grows so much that it links adjacent teeth to one another, cementing them to one another.

Meanwhile, the tartar prevents you from brushing the actual teeth, and infection/bone loss can start happening without us being able to see it. Some dogs develop a swelling under one eye due to tooth root abscesses. Others have such severe bone loss that the infection spreads to the eye or the nasal sinuses, developing pain when opening the mouth, and/or nose bleeds. Ouch!

Plaque and tartar buildup can lead to serious oral problems such as gingivitis and periodontal disease, but it can also become a blood borne infections, leading to heart, liver, and some kidney problems.

Let’s prevent this! Every dog and cat needs their teeth brushed 4 times a week at home, as well as an annual dental cleaning to try to keep those chompers in tip top shape.

An anesthetic dental cleaning at our facility includes:

• An intravenous (IV) catheter, IV fluids during the procedure
• If needed: pain medications, local dental nerve blocks, and antibiotic injections
• A personal nurse monitoring your pet’s blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, plane of anesthesia, ability to oxygenate and rid body of carbon dioxide
• Full mouth (every tooth!) digital dental x-rays
• Scaling, polishing, fluoride treatment (just like you get at your dentist!)
• Full oral examination by a doctor

Consider a dental cleaning annually for your fur baby. Our goal is to PREVENT pain, infection, and multiple extractions. Delaying a cleaning could result in multiple extractions, severe infection, costly advanced procedure, or even broken jaws from severe bone loss.