Dental Care

Proper dental care is important in keeping your pet healthy and happy. When your pet's teeth aren't clean, bad breath is not the only problem that your cat or dog faces. Periodontal disease, caused by a build-up of bacteria and plaque on your pet's teeth and gums causes bleeding and severe inflammation of the gums, gum recession, alveolar bone loss (the bone that supports the tooth is "eaten away") and tooth mobility. As periodontal disease progresses, the bacteria can spread from the mouth, travel through the blood and cause damage to the heart, liver and kidneys. Periodontal disease is more common than most pet owners realize. In fact, more than 80 percent of dogs and cats have this problem by the time they're four years old. To help prevent periodontal disease in your pet, it's recommended to have your pets' teeth examined every 6 to 12 months.

Madison Park Veterinary Hospital also offers digital dental radiology. Digital x-rays can provide immediate results and help promote the appropriate and rapid treatment of any problems encountered during the dental cleaning.

What Signs Am I Likely to See?

You may see some of the following signs if your pet has periodontal disease: discomfort while chewing; difficulty swallowing; drooling and an unpleasant odor on your pet's breath. In some cases, pets may have significant periodontal disease but show few symptoms. Regular dental exams and home dental care are excellent ways to prevent preiodontal disease.

Now What?

If tartar has formed on your pet's teeth, brushing alone cannot remove it. Your pet must undergo a professional dental cleaning. A routine dental cleaning for your pet is vastly different than the equivalent process you undergo each year. Veterinary dentistry is considerably involved, time-consuming and complex. It requires a general anesthetic and, consequently, a day's hospitalization. The following can help you to better understand what may be involved in your pet's teeth cleaning.

What's Involved with Teeth Cleaning?

Your pet's dental cleaning begins with a physical examination, in order to evaluate your pet's general health. Next, your pet is given an anesthetic for a safe and painless sleep during the dental cleaning. Tartar is removed from your pet's teeth with a hand scaler. Next, a periodontal probe checks for pockets under the gumline where periodontal disease and bad breath start. An ultrasonic scaler is used to clean above the gumline, while a curette cleans and smoothes the teeth under the gumline in the crevice. Next, your pet's teeth are polished, creating a smooth surface. Finally, the gums are washed with an anti-bacterial solution to help delay tartar build-up, both under the gumline and on the crown of the tooth.

Non-Anesthetic Dentals Offered at Madison Park Veterinary Hospital

Licensed veterinary technicians perform non-anesthetic dentals on animals at Madison Park Veterinary Hospital the third Friday of each month. The technicians use an ultrasonic cleaner to clean the teeth and a polishing unit to polish the teeth. Afterward, they examine and probe the teeth to locate pockets, gingivitis or loose teeth. Any animal found with loose teeth or pockets will be referred for anesthetic dental treatment.

Non-anesthetic dentals are a wonderful alternative for eligible candidates determined by your veterinarian. Young, healthy animals with minimal tartar and absence of periodontal disease are perfect candidates. Regular cleanings can help your pet avoid accumulation of tartar, accompanying gingivitis and peridontal disease. Occasionally these dentals are also performed on animals that are not good candidates for anesthesia due to severe health problems and associated higher risk of anesthesia. Please call the hospital to make an appointment for this service.

Any animals that have loose or infected teeth, gingivitis, pockets, severe tartar accumulation or any other signs of periodontal disease need anesthesia for dental procedures. These procedures may include digital dental radiographs, treatment of infected gums, extraction of abscessed or loose teeth, oral surgery or oral nerve blocks. All of these procedures must be performed under anesthesia.

Home Prevention

Proper dental care doesn't end when your pet leaves our veterinary hospital. Brushing your pet's teeth is an excellent way to ensure between hospital visits your pet's teeth, gums and mouth are healthy. The staff at Madison Park Veterinary Hospital can show you the proper method of brushing your pet's teeth. Annual veterinary dental care and home dental care will help keep your pet's breath fresh and gums and teeth healthy.