Why Your Pet Needs Routine Dental Checkups:
Teeth (human and animal) are all made of the same substance. Imagine going 10 – 15 years and never brushing your teeth.  This would cause the following:

Foul Breath                                                    Bacterial Infection
Gingivitis                                                        Tooth loss
Abscessed teeth                                            Plaque/calculus build-up        
Mouth pain                                                     Bleeding gums
Infection in the bloodstream                          Disease of the major organs

In pets, we see a direct correlation between dental disease and diabetes, kidney disease and other life threatening diseases, especially in cats.

Jennifer Jones
Certified Dental Technician

With 12 years of veterinary experience, along with 2 years as a Certified Dental Technician, Jennifer Jones has seen a lot of dental disease in her patients.  “We see cats and dogs that come into our office for treatment, and they are in a lot of pain” says Jennifer.  “We need to help pet owners understand the importance of dental care from the time these pets are puppies and kittens.  If dental care is part of an every day or every week routine, then it becomes easy to make sure that these pets have good dental health, which in turn results in better overall health.”

Jennifer, along with the rest of our staff and doctors has made it a priority to help our clients increase their pet’s dental health.  That is why we feel that it’s so important to make this educational information available to you.

Our pets are unable to brush their teeth, and therefore depend on us to keep their teeth clean and healthy.  Here’s how:

• It’s best to start oral care at a young age to get your pet accustomed to having a toothbrush in its mouth, but it’s never too late to start.  Handle your pet’s muzzle and put your hands in their mouth.  Do this, while talking calmly to your pet, making the pet as comfortable as possible.
• Ideally, brushing your pets’ teeth daily is best. However, we understand that this isn’t always practical.  So one to three times per week is what we strive for. 
• Do NOT use regular toothpaste!  Fluoride, when swallowed by your pet, can be extremely toxic.  We carry a variety of flavored toothpastes that are safe and taste good to your pet.
• A pediatric toothbrush will work well for larger animals.  Cats and smaller dogs may do better with a finger brush, which we also have available for purchase.  A wet washrag can work well too!
• If your pet just won’t tolerate brushing, we also have treats and special diets as well as other products that you can use to improve your pet’s dental health.
• All pets should visit their veterinarian at least once per year for a thorough dental exam and professional cleaning under general anesthesia.
• Older patients may need to be examined twice a year if underlying oral disease already exists.

The veterinarian recommends a dental procedure.  What is involved?

• We will always supply you with a written estimate for the dental procedure.  This will ensure that you understand all of our procedures and the prices before we perform the procedure.
• When it is determined that your pet requires a dental cleaning under an anesthesia, blood screening is performed prior to the cleaning procedure to ensure that your pet can tolerate the anesthesia.
• While under anesthesia, respiratory and cardiac monitors are placed on your pet to ensure the safest anesthetic procedure possible.
• Dental X-Rays are taken while the pet is under anesthesia to ensure teeth are in good health below the gum line.  Fractured or infected teeth below the gum line and bone loss can only be seen with dental X-ray.
• Once the pet has been placed under anesthesia and dental x-rays have been taken, we use these films to determine if extractions or other oral surgery will be necessary.  Many times we have an idea about what we may need to do before a thorough exam under anesthesia, but we never know for sure until x-rays are taken and evaluated by the veterinarian.
• After these procedures have been performed, the teeth are then cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaner, polished with a fluoride paste and then treated with a sealant to prevent tarter from sticking to the newly cleaned surface of the teeth.
• The pet is then recovered and given pain medications to assist them with any discomfort they may be feeling.
• While it is very important to perform these dental procedures on pets with dental disease, prevention is less expensive and much safer.

                      
Before                                                   After
                                                   

Before                                                   After
  

If you have questions or need help with dental care for your pet, you can call Jefferson Animal Hospital East to schedule an appointment with a Jennifer, our Certified Dental Technician for a demonstration.