Oral Hygiene and Dental Care

As with humans, good oral hygiene and dental care is just as important to address with your dog or cat. Pets can suffer from many of the same issues associated with dental issues including:

  • Bad Breath
  • Bleeding Gums
  • Periodontal Disease
  • Difficulty Chewing
  • Mouth Ulcers and Sores
  • Abscesses
  • Cavities
  • Broken Teeth
  • Cuts or Lacerations
  • Oral Cancer

What to Expect at Your Pets Dentistry Visit

During your pet’s annual Wellness Exam, your veterinarian will carefully evaluate the condition of your pet’s mouth, teeth and gums. Signs of disease or injury can cause your pet to chew on just one side of his or her mouth so looking for any pronounced build-up of plaque and tarter greater on one side of the mouth can indicate signs of abnormal chewing patterns.

In some cases, the oral exam can be limited by tolerance levels, yet generally a treatment plan can be recommended after examination to ensure that proper oral health is maintained.

  • Check-in – since your pet will undergo anesthesia in order for us to perform a teeth cleaning, pets are checked-in with our staff in the morning and will be picked up in the late afternoon. During the day, we will update you on your dental procedure and post-recovery progression.
  • Pre-Operative Bloodwork – in most treatments concerning dental issues, anesthesia is required. For the safety of your pet, performing bloodwork before a teeth cleaning procedure will help determine how well the internal organs will help filter anesthesia.
  • Full-mouth or Panoramic View Radiographs – before the teeth cleaning procedure begins, our veterinary staff will take an essay of your pet’s mouth including advanced digital x-rays. This enables us to carefully look at the health of every tooth including the crown and root structure. X-rays can reveal the location of cavities, fractures and other serious issues that can be addressed during the procedure.
  • Teeth Scaling – plaque and tarter will be removed using our dental scaling techniques.
  • Polishing – during this process, each tooth is buffed and polished to help delay the formation of tarter from building up on the tooth enamel.
  • Post-operative recovery – once the dental procedure has been completed, your pet will be brought out from under anesthesia and taken into recovery. Throughout the whole process, your pet will be continuously monitored by our veterinarians and technicians, kept warm and treated with love and compassion. 
  • Pain Medications – during dental procedures, sometimes it is necessary to remove teeth or address other dental issues. Due decrease any sign of pain or discomfort, pain medications and/or antibiotics may be sent home with your pet.
  • Discharge – Once your pet appears bright and alert and receives the green light from your veterinarian, he or she is ready to be discharged. When you arrive at our hospital, you will meet again with your veterinarian or our veterinary technicians so that we can review any follow-up or medication instructions as well as answer any questions that you may have.