Pet Dental Services
Our veterinarians stay on the forefront of dental practices through regular discussions with veterinary dentists to ensure we always provide exceptional oral care.
Pet Dental Services
At Healing Care Animal Hospital we provide Complete Oral Health Assessments and Treatments. Our veterinarians have been trained to provide the best in veterinary dental care for your pets. We offer free initial oral and physical exams for your pet prior to professional dental cleaning. Pets have dental diseases and problems just like we do. Diseases of the teeth and gums if go unnoticed and can have serious health consequences. Many of these problems can be avoided by bringing your pet to us for regular veterinary dental check-ups and dental cleanings.
Annual veterinary dental care and home dental care will help keep your pet’s breath fresh and gums and teeth healthy. Your pet’s smile and healthier life will bring smiles and comfort for you too. You can prevent serious animal dental problems from occurring by making sure your pet receives dental exams at the time of each puppy visit, again at six months of age, and then annually.
Signs of Dental Problems in Your Pet:
Persistent bad breath (one of the first signs of dental disease)
A yellowish-brown crust of plaque on the teeth near the gumline
Pain or bleeding when pet eats or when the mouth or gums are touched
Decreased appetite or difficulty eating
Tartar or plaque accumulation
Red and swollen gums
Pawing at the mouth
Loose or missing teeth
Red, swollen gums could be from gingivitis. Gingivitis occurs when soft plaque hardens into rough, irritating tartar. Tartar build-up on your pet’s teeth can cause damage to the teeth and gums. If left untreated, gingivitis can lead to an infection called periodontal disease. This disease can cause the loss of teeth.
Our Dental Services
Pet Dental Cleanings
Veterinary dentistry is quite different from the equivalent process in people. For most of us, caring for our teeth and gums has been part of our daily routine for as long as we can remember. In contrast, veterinary dentistry is considerably more involved, time-consuming, and complex. It requires general anesthesia, the skills of several professionals, and consequently a day’s hospitalization.
Prior to dental cleaning involves laboratory and diagnostic tests to better evaluate a pet’s current health status prior to anesthesia. Current medical problems must be evaluated and any possible unknown problems must be identified prior to dentistry. This will ensure that anesthesia is as safe as possible for your pet. We recommend a blood screen on the day of your dental visit or a complete blood count (CBC) and blood chemistry profile is taken prior to the dentistry. A preoperative electrocardiogram (EKG) may be suggested in certain circumstances.
Your pet’s dental cleaning will begin with a physical examination. This is important to evaluate your pet’s general health. After the physical exam, your pet is given anesthesia for a safe and painless sleep during the dental cleaning. The first part of animal dental cleaning requires the removal of tartar. This is done by hand, using tartar forceps.
Next, an ultrasonic scaler is used above and below the gum line. Once the teeth have been thoroughly cleaned a periodontal probe is used to check for pockets below the gum line. Deep pockets mean periodontal disease and infection. If deep pockets are found they are cleaned by hand using a curette to remove plaque and tartar from the exposed root surfaces. Then the pet’s teeth are polished, creating a smooth surface. The gums are washed with an anti-bacterial solution to help delay tartar build-up both below the gum line and on the crown of the tooth. Finally, the veterinarian also administers a fluoride treatment to strengthen your pet’s teeth, desensitize exposed roots, and decrease infection. In severe cases like a fractured tooth if your pet needs the tooth extraction our veterinarian will inform you about that prior to the procedure. Whether your pet is in need of a simple dental cleaning or has more serious oral problems, we can provide custom dental care.