February is the Time to Focus on the Health of your Pet’s Teeth
Can you imagine how your mouth might feel if you never brushed your teeth, never had a dental cleaning and had to live with the pain of infected gums, broken teeth or abscessed tooth roots?
Sounds terrible! Yet this was the state of affairs for pets until the development of small animal dentistry and the integration of dental care into routine preventive pet healthcare.
Dental care starts with an examination of the oral cavity by a veterinarian. They check for evidence of disease in gums and teeth. When a routine dental cleaning is recommended, the doctor will recommend general anesthesia and dental radiographs (X-rays). So much disease in both dogs and cats lies under the gum line and is only visible with an X-ray!
Signs of dental disease include:
Bad breath (halitosis) is one of the first signs of periodontal disease
Cats often show no obvious sign of dental disease. Only the veterinarian has the expertise to assess the cat’s dental status. That said, owners will often comment on how much better the cat seems to feel after a dentistry.
Treatment involves general anesthesia, dental radiographs, teeth cleaning and extraction of diseased teeth. In some instances, veterinary dental specialists can actually perform root canals!
Once a veterinarian has cleaned the teeth, you can help prevent tartar and plaque accumulation by brushing your pet’s teeth daily. For instructions on how to brush your pet’s teeth, refer to the Youtube video prepared by the AVMA.
A veterinarian should examine your pet’s mouth every 6-12 months. Dental prophylaxis is as important for our pets just as it is for us!!
Dr. Janet E McMahan