 
Dental Care is essential to your pet's health and comfort. Dirty infected teeth and gums can cause bad breath, pain, discomfort, tooth loss, poor nutrition, and can lead to heart, kidney or liver disease.
Dental Care Shouldn't Be Like Pulling Teeth Unfortunately for most pets it is.
Dental disease is a common and often overlooked problem in dogs and cats. While cavities represent the most common dental disease of humans, dogs and cats are more frequently bothered by tartar buildup on the teeth. Tartar accumulation leads to irritation of the gums around the base of the teeth, ultimately leading to exposure of the roots. Potential outcomes of this tooth root exposure include gum infections and tooth loss. Contributing Factors One of the main factors determining the amount of tartar buildup is the individual chemistry in the mouth. Some dogs and cats need yearly cleanings; others need a cleaning only once every few years. Diet plays more of a minor role in development of tartar accumulation than most people think. Because dry food is not as sticky as canned food, it does not adhere to the teeth as much and thus, does not cause tartar buildup as rapidly. However, eating dry food does not remove tartar from the teeth. Once tartar forms, a professional cleaning is necessary. Other known contributing factors for feline dental disease are the feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus. Severe disease of the teeth and gums can alert the veterinarian to test for these diseases. Causes/Transmission Many different disorders can lead to dental disease in our pets. In general, the veterinarian will try to determine whether the problem is limited to the oral cavity (primary dental disease) or has developed as a consequence of another disease (secondary dental disease). Clinical Signs In some cases, owners are unaware that their pet has dental disease. The problem may be identified with a routine physical examination or during investigation of another problem. In other situations, the probability of dental disease is apparent to the owner. The dog or cat may have very bad breath (halitosis), difficulty eating, or changes in temperament. Diagnosis Diagnosis of dental disease is usually very straightforward. A visual examination of the oral cavity reveals tartar and gingivitis. However, in most cases, the true extent of the disease cannot be determined unless the dog or cat is under anesthesia. This facilitates a more complete examination of the oral cavity. Treatment Proper cleaning of the teeth requires complete cooperation of the patient so that plaque and tartar can be removed properly. Anesthesia is required to thoroughly clean the teeth. Many owners have a high degree of anxiety related to general anesthesia for their pets. While there is always a degree of risk with any anesthetic, be aware that delaying proper dental care may ultimately compromise your pet's health. To minimize risk, we strongly recommend pre?anesthetic blood test to ensure that your pet is in a low risk category prior to anesthesia. The latest technology has enabled us to run safe and accurate blood chemistries minutes before anesthetic induction. These tests are similar to those your own physician would run were you to undergo anesthesia. There are four steps in the cleaning process that will be used on your pet:
Prognosis In the early stages of dental disease, the problems may be reversible. At some point, however, even cleaning cannot restore the mouth to normal. This is not a reason to avoid cleaning! The prognosis is worsened if tartar is left on the teeth indefinitely. Some of the consequences of delayed dental care are:
Prevention Several preventive measures can be recommended to aid in oral hygiene for dogs and cats.
Williamsburg Animal Clinic, LLC |
Dear Client,