Dental
Dental health, procedures and dental radiology
We brush our own teeth twice a day and just like us our pets would certainly benefit from routine cleaning of their teeth, but unfortunately for a lot of owners this is not a suitable option.
As part of your pet’s wellness check when they get their annual vaccinations their teeth will be checked, if the attending Vet thinks the teeth need to be cleaned or they spot a problem we will talk to you about booking your pet in for a dental. This requires them to be with us for the whole day as they go under a general anaesthetic to have the dental work performed.
Good dental care is essential to help ensure your pet’s longevity. Periodontal disease is common in adult cats and dogs; however, it is preventable and treatable. Unfortunately, bad breath is usually the first or only give away detected at home. If diseased teeth are left untreated the toxins from periodontal disease can spread into the deeper tissues causing serious health issues affecting the heart, liver and kidneys.
For your pet’s dental day stay we have an ultrasonic dental machine to carry out routine scaling and cleaning. We have another machine that enables us to polish the teeth once cleaned, leaving them pearly white and smelling fresh. The scale and polish clears away all the tartar and gives us a clearer picture of what is happening with the teeth and gums.
Broken teeth, abscesses and cavities aren’t usually obvious until your pet is under general anaesthetic and we can inspect their teeth properly, if any of these are found it usually means extractions are necessary.
Our dental radiographic machine allows us to see the integrity of the tooth roots and surrounding tissue, this helps us to determine the best course of action.
Extraction of the larger teeth such as the canine or carnassials is a very involved procedure, but we have the right machines, tools and expertise to carry this out.
Because a lot of pets don’t get their teeth brushed daily, most of them will require a routine scale and polish on average every 1-3 years after the age of 5. Some breeds are more susceptible to bad dental health than others and diet also plays a big part.
Ongoing dental care at home is a great way to manage tartar build up and prolong the need for a dental day stay.
We have quite a few options available such as toothpaste for daily brushing, prescription biscuit diets designed to help removed tartar and maintain clean teeth, chew treats and even a water additive.
Ask us about more information on these products and which would best suit your pet.