Pet Dental Care: Necessary for Pet Health
Dental hygiene is an important part of your pet’s health, as dental disease can be associated with other serious health problems, such as heart disease and kidney disease. But how do you know if your pet has a healthy mouth? Let us examine your pet’s teeth and gums to help determine if there are any dental issues you should know about. After a brief visual examination, we may recommend a more detailed examination (which requires sedation), a dental cleaning, or options for at-home dental care.
Why Your Pet Needs a Dental Exam
Not sure if your pet needs a dental checkup? Look for these signs, which indicate not just poor oral hygiene, but also poor health:
- Bad breath
- Red and swollen gums
- Excessive drooling
- Dropping food while eating (could indicate oral pain)
- Yellow/brown buildup on the teeth
- Pawing at mouth
- Change in behavior (sleeping more often, reluctant to play with chew toys)
- Decreased appetite, weight loss
Scheduling a Teeth Cleaning
If you notice any of the signs listed above, give us a call at (865) 986-5450 to schedule an appointment. We'll work together to be sure that your pet's oral health is where it needs to be, or what we can do to make it better. After we examine your pet, we will offer an estimate for services and help you schedule their dental procedure.
Our Pet Teeth Cleaning Services
Pets must be placed under anesthesia for their dental cleaning, which involves:
- Scaling the teeth (above and below the gum line) to remove accumulated plaque and tartar.
- A complete dental exam of all teeth, complete with dental radiographs from our digital dental unit (DDU) to examine tooth roots, presence of abscesses, bone loss, and other issues under the gum line.
- Polishing the teeth to smooth rough enamel surfaces.
At-Home Dental Care
The first rule of at-home pet dental care is to start your pet on a routine as early as possible. Puppies and kittens can adjust to daily dental treatments quickly, making it easier for them and for you!
Brushing your pet’s teeth is the best treatment to implement because it prevents plaque and bacteria buildup and reduces the potential for dental disease. If brushing proves difficult, there are other options available, including oral wipes, dental chews, rinses, and tartar control diets. Ask us for recommendations.
