Dental Care
Pet dental health is about much more than just fresh breath—it’s essential to their overall health and longevity. Periodontal disease remains one of the most common health issues our animal companions face, and most pets over three already have some signs of periodontal disease. When periodontal disease becomes advanced, infection and bacteria can spread throughout a pet’s system and potentially lead to kidney, liver or heart disease.
Signs that your pet might have a dental issue include:
- Changes in eating habits or behavior
- Drooling or dropping food from the mouth
- Chewing oddly or only on one side of the mouth
- Refusal to play with toys
- Bad breath
- Sneezing or nasal discharge
- Facial swelling
- Red, swollen gums or any bleeding from the mouth
- Loose or broken teeth
The path to a healthy mouth includes regular dental care, including at-home brushing (if possible), dental exams and regular dental cleanings.
We offer comprehensive dental services, including:
- Dental exams
- Dental X-rays
- Cleaning/scaling
- Extractions
Most animals need annual professional cleaning and assessment after three years of age. An essential part of a pet’s oral health assessment is digital dental radiography (X-rays), which allows our doctors to thoroughly evaluate each tooth above and below the gum line. Only a small portion of a pet’s tooth is visible above the gumline, and dental X-rays allow our vets to detect and address issues that otherwise would go unnoticed until they had become severe enough to be visible to the naked eye.
We follow the guidelines set by the American Veterinary Medical Association and only perform dental cleanings under general anesthesia. While non-anesthetic cleanings are becoming popular, we don’t recommend them. In addition to being highly stressful to pets, they do not allow for scaling under the gum line, where plaque and tartar build up, nor do they allow for dental radiography, which is an essential component of quality canine and feline dental care.
If you’d like to schedule your pet for a dental exam or cleaning, you can book online or give us a call at (214) 826-4800.
