Dental Cleaning/Extraction
Pet Dental Problems
If you're like most people, you don't spend much time thinking about your pet's oral health unless he or she is nibbling on your favorite slippers. But dental care is as important for your pet as it is for the human members of your family!
Dental disease is a much more significant risk to your pet's health than most people realize. Tooth and gum disease can lead to much more serious problems for your pet. Some of the dangers of uncorrected dental problems include tooth loss, sinus infection, weight loss due to painful chewing, heart valve infections leading to heart failure, and low grade kidney infections leading to kidney failure, to name a few.
Fortunately, these problems don't develop overnight. Dental disease is a slow, sneaky process. We first see plaque accumulate at the gum line. This thickens and becomes hard, calcified tartar. If not removed, bacteria (germs) grow rapidly and get under the gums, gradually breaking down the attachments that hold the tooth firmly in place. At this point, damage to the tooth and gum can become irreversible.
Preventive Dental Care for Your Pet
The good news is that we pet owners can do many things to slow down and correct dental disease. First, provide a good quality hard food, such as Science Diet, Iams, or Pro Plan for your pet, unless your veterinarian has advised a special prescription diet for your pet. Avoid soft foods and especially "people foods". Hard foods help to scrape the teeth during chewing and help slow the development of tartar.
Chewing should be encouraged by providing large rawhide bones (not the small sticks or chips), or hard rubber or nylon chew toys such as Gumabones® or Nylabones®. Real bones that are easily broken are dangerous and should be avoided. Treats such as Iams bones and Milkbones® are somewhat less effective than the above items but can still help.
Toothbrushing for Pets
Recently many new toothpastes and brushes, designed especially for pets have become available. These products, when used properly two or three times a week, can be very helpful in reducing tartar and gum disease. These products are available at Twin Maples, and we will be happy to teach you how to use them correctly. Do not use human toothpaste! The foaming action of people toothpaste will often make pets ill.
Professional Dental Care for Your Pet
The veterinarians and staff at Twin Maples will help you keep track of your pet's dental health as a part or his or her regular yearly physical examination. You can help by bringing your pet in for an exam if you notice bad breath, painful or reduced chewing, deposits on your pet's teeth, or red and swollen gums.
We at Twin Maples can safely provide the professional dental care your pet may require, from routine cleaning and polishing, to more involved procedures such as extractions, filling cavities, and even root canals if needed.
You should also be aware that sedation and anesthesia has become much safer for our animal friends in the last few years. With the introduction of human quality anesthetic gasses and injectables, there are very few pets that cannot be safely sedated for dental care.
We at Twin Maples Veterinary Hospital regard dental care as a very important part of your pet's overall preventive medicine program. At your regular examinations, we will evaluate your pet's dental health and advise you of steps for proper care.
If you have any questions regarding dental care for your pet, please don't hesitate to call us.
