Your Source for Pet Dentistry in Danville, CA
Taking care of your pet’s teeth is critical for maintaining a good quality of life for your pet. Without proper dental care, many pets develop gum and tooth infections. Eventually, some pets even begin to lose teeth, and infections spread to other parts of the body.
Benefits of Pet Dental Care
There are many reasons to get your pet dental care. Among them:
- Dental care can eliminate bad breath- Sometimes pets develop very bad breath as a result of poor dental hygiene. Cleaning your pet’s teeth can help ensure that your pet will have better breath.
- Dental problems can be painful- Tooth infections and gum infections can be painful for pets. Taking care of your pet’s dental hygiene will help improve your pet’s quality of life.
- Dental care can keep your pet healthier overall- Pets who have poor dental hygiene may find eating difficult, which can lead to weight loss and poor eating habits. Over time, this can lead to poor health. In this way, keeping your pet’s teeth healthy is a way of keeping your pet’s body healthy.
Signs of Dental Disease
If your pets display any of these symptoms, he or she should see a veterinarian right away:
- Bleeding gums
- Red, inflamed gums
- Cracked, missing or broken teeth
- Dark brown or black spots on the teeth or gums
- Refusal to eat or difficulty eating
- Very bad breath
- Vomiting
Tassajara Veterinary Clinic Performs a Variety of Dental Services
At Tassajara Veterinary Clinic in Danville, CA, we provide a variety of dental services for pets, including:
- Dental examinations- We examine pet teeth and gums to find plaque buildup, infections and more. If your pet needs dental work, we’ll make recommendations for future treatment.
- Dental cleaning- During our pet dental cleaning services, we remove plaque from your pet’s teeth and then polish the enamel. Our teeth cleaning and polishing services can help keep your pet’s teeth smooth and slick, which can prevent food particles from building up on the teeth.
- Tooth extractions- If your pet’s tooth becomes infected, an extraction may be necessary. Often this can help relieve any pain that your pet is experiencing, which can make eating and drinking more comfortable for your pet.
- Teeth cleaning consultations- If you struggle to brush your pet’s teeth at home, we’ll help you find a method that works for you. We can also help you find products that will make brushing your pet’s teeth easier and more pleasant.
Dental Prophylaxis
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. Tassajara Veterinary Clinic is pleased to say that they’re equipped with a dental radiology machine. Dental X-rays help to detect bone loss and broken teeth. Radiographic Imaging of a Resorptive Lesion is also provided.
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.
Contact Us for Danville Pet Dental Care
We’ll help you keep your pet’s teeth clean! At Tassajara Veterinary Clinic, we’re your source for Danville pet dentistry. Contact us today at (925) 736-8387 to make an appointment for Danville veterinary or pet dental services.