Essential Dental Care for Your Pet’s Health and Well-being
Just like you and me, our pets need regular dental care to maintain a healthy mouth and teeth. When dental health is neglected, many pets end up with dental disease, which can be very painful. In fact, dental disease is very common, with over 80% of dogs and 70% of cats affected by age three. The best way to prevent dental disease is by taking care of your pet’s teeth through regular dental cleanings and at-home care.
Dental Examination
We prioritize regular visits to the dentist; why shouldn’t we do the same for our pets? During your pet’s dental examination, your veterinarian will carefully look at the condition of your pet’s teeth and gums for signs of dental disease. Common signs of dental disease include discolored teeth and gums, bleeding gums, swollen gums, and bad breath.
If concerns are detected, your veterinarian will recommend further dental services, such as a professional dental cleaning or, in advanced cases, oral surgery, to correct any issues. Your pet's dental examination is also a great time for your veterinarian to show you how to brush your pet’s teeth at-home and recommend foods and treats to combat plaque build-up.
Dental Cleaning
The veterinarians at Oakhurst Veterinary Hospital recommend all dogs and cats visit us once annually for a professional dental cleaning. This is a preventative recommendation that will help to prevent your pet from developing dental disease and its undesirable side effects.
A professional dental cleaning allows our trained veterinary team to completely remove plaque and tartar build-up above the gum line on the teeth and below the gum line. Because plaque and tartar build-up can cause significant oral pain over time, as well as put your pet at risk for secondary infections, your veterinarian will carefully scale and polish the teeth during the cleaning.
Extractions may be necessary to fully alleviate your pet of any oral pain or infection. To prevent the need for oral surgery in your pet's lifetime, we strongly encourage you to follow our recommendation to schedule annual dental cleanings for your furry friends!
All dental cleanings are performed under general anesthesia at Oakhurst Veterinary Hospital. This keeps our clinical team safe, and helps to keep your pet safe too, with the least amount of stress. Your pet will be carefully monitored from start to finish.
At-Home Dental Care
The best way to prevent dental disease is with daily tooth brushing. When bacteria and food debris are allowed to accumulate around the teeth, they harden into plaque and deteriorate the surface of the tooth. This is very painful for your pet, and if left untreated can lead to tooth loss, gum disease, and infection of other organs in the body. Regular tooth brushing removes bacteria and food debris before it can harden, saving your pet’s teeth.
It can be hard to fit in a tooth brushing every day, but brushing even one or two times a week makes a big difference over not brushing at all! There are also a wide variety of dental chews and treats you can offer your pet that help break down plaque on the surface of the teeth.
