Did you know that bacteria from the mouth are found in the blocked arteries of human heart patients? Dental disease is about so much more than bad breath, although a poodle wake up lick can be hard to endure! Prevention is always the place to start. During pediatric visits we discuss teaching puppies and kittens to tolerate tooth brushing. If that isn’t possible, we work with families to identify which of the products on the Veterinary Oral Health Council website might be a sustainable choice for daily preventive care. Our goal is to minimize the number of dental cleaning procedures done over a pet’s lifetime and prevent the need for extractions.
When dental cleaning becomes necessary, we present a realistic treatment plan and are happy to call once your pet’s teeth have been cleaned and x-rays taken to discuss any problems we’ve encountered and what your options are to address them. We offer state-of-the-art anesthetic monitoring equipment and have a dedicated anesthetist for monitoring your pets’ safety while under anesthesia. Our veterinarians are happy to discuss the relative risks and benefits of performing a dental procedure on older patients with health concerns. Remember – dental disease is not benign! It’s a true medical problem.
