Dental Care Doesn't End in February!
This year's February Pet Dental Health month was filled with great patients and enhanced by our new digital dental equipment. Above is a close-up of the great images generated by our new digital dental system. Below is a picture of Lorenzo, CVT performing a dental cleaning while Dr. Smith reviews the patient's dental radiographs (x-rays).
As the month comes to a close, we want to help you keep your pet's pearly whites for as long as possible before another dental cleaning/polishing. Here are some tips to help you do that!
TOOTH BRUSHING
The absolute BEST you can do for your pet's teeth is daily tooth brushing. This may sound difficult, but many pets tolerate this very well! You do need a few supplies..... First an "animal friendly" toothpaste. Regular human toothpaste has fluoride which can make your pet sick. We recommend and carry C.E.T. enzymatic toothpaste - from firsthand experience, many dogs love this! Second, you need a soft toothbrush - children's soft toothbrushes work well and there are a variety of commercial types available - even finger brushes. Choose whatever is easiest for you and your pet. Tooth brushing should be done once daily and should be started gradually. Pet Dental has great step-by-step instructions and even a video of how to brush your pet's teeth.
PRESCRIPTION DIETS
There are several prescription diets available that are clinically proven to reduce the accumulation of plaque, tartar, and gingivitis. These can be used in all healthy pets and can also be used in conjunction with tooth brushing (above). We recommend and carry Royal Canin's DD diet and Hill's T/D diet, both available for cats and dogs.
ORAVET
Available only through veterinarians, OraVet is a waxy gel that binds electrostatically to the tooth surface, which forms a barrier to bacterial attachment. We recommend a coat of the OraVet Barrier Sealant after every dental cleaning/polishing. Also available is OraVet Plaque Prevention Gel - which is applied at home on a weekly schedule. When used appropriately, this can be an effective way of preventing calculus build-up.
RINSES AND CHEWS
There are several available rinses which can help reduce dental disease, however, they are also labor intensive to use and do not help nearly as much as tooth brushing. If you look down the animal treat aisle, you will see many dental "treats" and "chews" which are marketed to greatly help with dental build-up. These products can help, but are a weak substitute for regular tooth brushing.
PROFESSIONAL CLEANING/POLISHING?
Despite your best efforts, sometimes professional a dental cleaning/polishing is inevitable. A thorough dental cleaning/polishing requires general anesthesia, but is the only way to remove permanent calculus and to evaluate the tooth root structure. Home dental care is not a substitute for professional dental care - but can greatly reduce the severity and frequency of professional dental services your pet needs! Below are pictures that demonstrate a "before" and "after" of one of our patients during Dental Health Month.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
