Dentistry

Dental health is one of the biggest unaddressed concerns facing many of our pets today. It is estimated that 80% of dogs and 70% of cats over 3 years of age have some form of dental disease. Similar to people, pets need their teeth brushed daily to prevent tartar buildup, gum recession, infections, bone loss, and eventually the loss of teeth. If your dog or cat has bad breath, chances are good they are in need of a dental cleaning.

Regular cleanings will keep your pet’s teeth and gums healthy and ensure they do not lose teeth as they get older. Dental disease can even lead to liver, kidney, or heart disease in otherwise healthy animals. Not only is dental disease unhealthy for pets, but it is very painful. Unfortunately, dogs and cats are masters of hiding pain and rarely show us signs of discomfort. Many people assume their pets will stop eating if they develop painful dental disease, but this is very rarely the case. To be performed properly, pets are placed under anesthesia for all dental cleanings. While a surgical tech monitors the patients’ vital signs and anesthesia, your dental technician will scale all of the tartar off the teeth with an ultrasonic scaler, probe each tooth for possible pockets of infection, and polish each tooth just like our dentist! Your doctor will verify every tooth is healthy and if any problems are identified, they will call you with a treatment recommendation.