Dental Care
Dental Care
More than 85% of all dogs and cats over 3 years of age seen by veterinarians are affected by dental problems.
Periodontal disease causes bad breath, a painful mouth, and may cause infections of the kidneys, liver, and heart. To avoid disease, we recommend daily dental care at home. Your pet’s dental hygiene will be evaluated yearly at their wellness exam, and sometimes the veterinarian will recommend further treatment.
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If the extent of the problem is limited to accumulation of plaque and dental tartar with gingivitis or mild periodontitis (bone loss around the tooth), treatment will be a professional dental cleaning. Professional dental cleaning removes dental plaque and tartar that causes periodontal disease.
While the principles of good oral hygiene and dental health are the same for dogs as for people, there are some significant differences in treatment. Primary among these is that a pet must be under general anesthesia for a thorough, safe dental cleaning. This permits a comprehensive assessment of the tissues, allows dental radiographs to be made if needed, and allows for the cleaning (scaling and polishing procedure) itself.
“Anesthesia-free dental scaling” is not recommended by the American Veterinary Dental College and is not performed at VESH.