Dental disease is one of the most under-treated issues that we see in veterinary medicine. Preventative home care such as brushing, dental food, and dental treats is crucial in maintaining lifelong dental health in our pet patients.
The conversation about dental health starts when your puppy or kitten comes in for their first consultation where we will discuss appropriate food, treats, toys, and toothbrush training. By the time they are 6-months-old and we are preparing for the spay or neuter surgery, all of the deciduous teeth (baby teeth) should have fallen out and the adults have taken their place. If your little one has persistent baby teeth, missing teeth or improper occlusion, we will recommend treating these issues while they are under anesthetic for their spay or neuter.
Maintaining healthy teeth is just as important for animals as it is for us. Many dogs and cats require a dental cleaning and dental x-rays by the time they are two or three years old. Performing preventative dental examinations and cleanings can prevent more severe problems such as broken, infected, or abscessed teeth. Dental health is also related to systemic health and can help reduce the risk or severity of things like heart and kidney disease later in life.
Veterinary dental procedures require general anesthesia to properly clean and x-ray the teeth(and to extract teeth if necessary). This is a day procedure in which your pet is admitted in the morning between 8:00 am and 9:00 am and discharged between 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm. We strongly recommend obtaining some baseline bloodwork prior to dental procedures. We will generally perform the bloodwork in the pre-dental examination where we also construct a cost estimate for the procedure.
If you have questions about your pet’s dental health please click or call to schedule a consultation.
