Dental Services

Your pet's dental health is a very important part of his overall health. Poor dental condition not only causes bad breath, but can contribute to many serious health conditions, including heart, liver, and kidney disease.

Over time, the buildup of plaque and tartar can cause gingivitis and periodontal disease. The mouth can become very painful and eventual tooth and bone loss can occur.

Daily care provided at home is the best method to promote good dental health. Daily brushing can extend the length of time between dental cleanings.

There are four stages of periodontal disease:

Stage 1: Gingivitis

Gingivitis is a condition in which the gum margins are red and inflamed. This condition
is a result of plaque buildup on the teeth. Plaque is a combination of bacteria, food, and
saliva. It is very soft at first, but hardens into tartar over time. Plaque is relatively easy to
clean from your pet's teeth with brushing and certain types of treats and food. Most pets
will readily allow the owner to brush their teeth after a few training sessions. Daily brushing
is the best course of treatment and helps prevent severe dental disease.

Stage 2: Early Periodontal Disease

Early periodontal disease involves the entire gum being inflamed and red. The mouth has
started to become painful and the owner may notice the pet's bad breath. At this point, it is
necessary for the pet to have a dental cleaning to remove the tartar from the teeth. After
care is necessary at home to help prevent the future buildup of plaque and tarter. Early
periodontal disease is reversible with proper care.

Stage 3: Moderate Periodontal Disease

Moderate periodontal disease is caused when the gums have become so damaged by
infection and tartar buildup that they are bleeding and severely inflamed. This can cause
the mouth to become very painful and can affect the ability of the animal to eat. Behavior
changes may also be noticed. Bad breath is very noticeable. Immediate cleaning is
needed to preserve the integrity of the mouth. This stage of periodontal disease may or
may not be reversible.

Stage 4: Severe Periodontal Disease

Severe periodontal disease results in gum, tooth, and bone loss. The continuing buildup
of tartar causes chronic bacterial infection in the gums that leads to the gum being
destroyed. At this point, the teeth can be cleaned, but the gum and bone loss is
irreversible. It is very likely that some teeth are severely affected that they may need to be
removed. Bacteria begins to invade the bloodstream and moves to the heart, kidneys, and
liver, causing further disease.

Dental Cleaning Procedure:

Hill's Prescription t/d is a complete diet formulated for best dental health. The unique shape of the pieces act as a toothbrush to scrape plaque off your pet's teeth as he eats.

Dogs love rawhide treats. CET Hextra Chews are a treat with Chlorhexidine, an antiseptic that helps kill the bacteria in the mouth. The chewing action of the dogs helps manually remove plaque. CET also makes chew

For the few pets won't tolerate brushing, CET Oral Rinse is a good alternative. The rinse comes with a "point-and-shoot" straw that allows the pet owner to easily apply the rinse to the teeth.

CET flavored toothpastes and toothbrushes make brushing teeth an easy process for your pet. Daily brushing is the best at-home method for good dental health.

Step 5:
Anesthesia is discontinued and your pet recovers from the procedure.

Step 4:
The clean teeth are polished to smooth the surface of the teeth to slow the buildup of plaque.

Step 3:
The teeth are cleaned with an ultrasonic scaler. The scaler removes plaque and tartar from the teeth.

Step 2:
The pet is anesthetized by an injection of a sedative into the vein. The animal is then intubated to provide continual anesthesia and oxygen to the pet throughout the dental cleaning.

Step 1:
The pet is prepared to be anesthetized. Any bloodwork requested would have been run prior to anesthetizing the animal.

Our dental machine allows us to properly clean and polish your pets teeth. The machine also has a drill that makes removal of teeth, especially molars, a more efficient process.

Dental Care Products: