Pets Need Dental Care Too!

Ideally your pet should have their teeth brushed daily just like their human counterparts. However, we understand that our clients cannot always give their pets this type of routine care. Dental prophylaxes are then recommended in order to maintain and promote your pet's oral health. 

What is a Prophylaxis?

Dental prophylaxes or prophies, are measures taken to maintain oral hygiene and prevent the onset of disease. In order to achieve optimal results, dental cleanings are performed while a pet is under general anesthesia. This allows our doctors and licensed veterinary technicians to conduct a thorough exam of the patient’s mouth and properly chart the condition of each tooth.

Using state of the art equipment, we use an ultrasonic scaler in order to effectively clean the subgingival area of a patient’s mouth. This process of cleaning under the gum line is one of the most important steps during a prophylaxis. The subgingival plaque and calculus is what causes periodontal disease, an ailment found in most patients. It is important to follow each teeth scaling with a polish. Polishing a patient’s teeth will smooth and restore the surface of the enamel in addition to decreasing the adhesive ability of plaque. Lastly, the teeth may be treated with fluoride. The benefits of fluoride are that it hardens the dentin, decreases tooth sensitivity, and is reported to retard the formation of feline oral resorptive lesions

Subgingival Resorptive Lesion occur in feline patients

Why is Dental Care Important?

Cleaning a pet’s teeth either at home or at our clinic will aid in preventing plaque buildup which leads to tartar if not removed. Caused by a combination of saliva, bacteria and food particles plaque, if not removed, will collect in the pockets around teeth. From this point, infection can result and travel through the blood stream affecting the body’s immune system. For tips and tricks to get started on caring for your pets' dental care click here

Signs Of Dental Disease

• Bad Breath
• Drooling
• Difficulty chewing or eating
• Vomiting
• Gums swollen or red, may bleed
• Brownish-yellow calculus (tartar) on teeth
• Receded gums
• Loose or missing teeth

Tassajara Veterinary Clinic is also equipped with a dental radiology machine. Dental X-rays help to detect bone loss and broken teeth.

     Radiographic Imaging of a Resorptive Lesion

Some Facts to Consider:

• According to The American Veterinary Dental Society 80% of dogs and 70% of cats show signs of oral and dental disease by age 3.
• Certain breeds are more susceptible to dental disease including: Toy breed dogs and Asian breed cats such as the Siamese and Abyssinian.