Dental Care

When was the last time you brushed your pet’s teeth? Have you ever cleaned them? It can be easy to get caught up in the more ‘obvious’ aspects of pet care and overlook some others that require attention. Pet dental care is one area of animal wellness that often doesn’t receive the notice that it should, and unfortunately, this can have significant consequences for our pets.

Pet dental care is just as important for pets as it is for humans. Like us, our animals are heavily reliant on their teeth for biting and chewing their food. But in addition to this, our furry friends also use their teeth as tools - helping them to pick up and carry objects, to enable them to play with us, such as when catching a ball or frisbee, and as a form of defense should they ever feel threatened. Our pet dental care service helps to ensure that your animal’s teeth are healthy and in the best possible condition.

What is involved in professional pet dental care?

Professional pet dental care involves a number of different elements. When you choose to entrust your pet’s dental care to us, you can expect to be offered the following services:

Check-up appointments

As you might expect, the goal of these appointments is to assess the health and condition of your pet’s teeth so that we can check that there are no current or emerging problems. By identifying these early, we can arrange for prompt treatment and this could prevent them from worsening, from causing your pet pain and from necessitating expensive and extensive dental treatment. Most pets are asked to attend a dental check-up on an annual basis, but the exact frequency of these visits will be tailored to the needs of your pet.

Professional cleaning

Owners are encouraged to clean their pet’s teeth regularly at home, which helps to stay on top of the accumulation of plaque and tartar. However, we understand that it can be tricky to do a really good job of brushing them yourself, even if you have a very cooperative animal! Professional cleaning gives us an opportunity to give your pet’s teeth a truly comprehensive clean, removing any tartar and ensuring that the gums are as healthy as they can be. Professional cleans are carried out under general anesthetic, which is much less stressful for your pet and gives us the time and access we need to carry out the clean safely and effectively.

Restorative dental treatments

If we discover that your pet is experiencing a dental issue, we can provide the restorative treatment needed to eliminate the problem and ensure that your pet isn’t suffering unnecessarily. Some of the most common dental treatments that we provide include:

- Extracting badly decayed or damaged teeth

- Oral surgery

- Treatment for feline resorption

- Treatment for stomatitis

- Treating dental infections

- Limiting the effects of periodontal disease

Periodontal disease in pets

Periodontal disease is a serious problem for many pets. This inflammatory disease occurs when the gums become infected by bacteria that passes onto them from the teeth. Around 1 in 3 cats and dogs will have some signs of periodontal disease by the time they reach their third birthday, and the condition can cause a range of unpleasant symptoms including bad breath, bleeding gums, pain and tooth loss. Regular visits to our team can help keep periodontal disease at bay.

If you are concerned about your pet’s dental care, and you would like to arrange an appointment with our experienced and dedicated veterinary team, please call our offices today.