Veterinary Dentistry: Healthy Teeth, Healthy Body
Did you know that you can add two to four years to your pet’s life with proper dental care?
Dental hygiene is an important part of your pet’s health and can often be the cause of serious illness. If left untreated, dental problems can lead to larger systemic issues in your pet due to oral bacteria entering the blood stream and damaging the kidneys, heart and liver. In fact, it is estimated that more than 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats develop tooth and gum disease by the age of three years.
Dental disease and its serious consequences can be avoided by bringing your pet to your veterinarian for regular dental check-ups and teeth cleanings. At Faithful Friends Animal Hospital, these include thorough teeth cleanings utilizing an ultrasonic scaler to remove plaque and calculus. We will thoroughly examine your pet’s teeth and gum line in order to prevent or uncover dental issues before they become a health threat.
We also offer full-mouth, dental X-rays. This allows your veterinarian to see below the gum line and check for tooth and bone loss, which can be very difficult to identify with just a visual inspection.
Should we find anything wrong with your pet’s teeth, we will discuss the nature of the issue, treatment options and referral to veterinary dental specialist, if necessary.
Home Dental Care
Dental care does not end with a visit to your veterinarian. You need to continue your veterinarian’s good work at home by brushing your pet’s teeth as part of a home dental care regimen. We also have several products to help you with your home dental care.
Any member of the Faithful Friends Animal Hospital staff can show you the proper method of brushing your pet’s teeth as well as help you select from our wide range of dental products.
It is also important for you to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of dental problems, which include:
- Bad breath – one of the first signs of dental disease
- A yellowish-brown crust of plaque on the teeth near the gum line
- Red and swollen gums
- Pain or bleeding when your pet eats or when the mouth or gums are touched
- Decreased appetite or difficulty eating
- Loose or missing teeth