The Importance of Dental Care for Pets

Good dental hygiene can increase your pet’s health, vitality, well-being and add additional years to his or her life. Regular dental check-ups and teeth cleanings help ensure your pet leads the best life possible.

If left untreated, dental disease can not only be painful and inhibit proper nutrition, but it can also lead to serious systemic issues that may threaten your pet’s health before symptoms are noticeable. For example, oral bacteria that enter the bloodstream can damage your pet’s kidneys, heart or liver. It is estimated that more than 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats develop tooth and gum disease by the age of three years.

Dental care is an important piece of your dog or cat’s preventive health care program. Proper dental care not only prevents dental and systemic disease, but it also helps minimize the lifetime cost of care for your pet.

Dr. Strittmatter, Dr. Black and the medical team at Town & Country Animal Hospital in Aubrey are concerned about the dental health of your pet. That is why our veterinarians and staff members have completed multiple hours of continuing education and hands-on training in veterinary dentistry.

Dental Services for the Pets of Aubrey and Denton, Texas

We believe that the centerpiece of good dental care is a complete oral exam followed by a thorough cleaning. Dental cleanings include ultrasonic scaling followed by polishing and an antiseptic mouth rinse, the combination of which is designed to remove plaque and slow its buildup.

Your Pet’s Dental Cleaning includes:

  • Oral examinations under anesthesia
  • Diagnosis and treatment of periodontal disease
  • X-rays
  • Supra and subgingival scaling
  • Tooth extractions
  • Polishing
  • Irrigation

Should we find any issues, such as evidence of gum or tooth erosion, gingivitis, or excessive plaque buildup, we will discuss this with you and offer treatment options for your pet. We are experienced dental practitioners and are capable of offering a number of dental procedures and oral surgeries. For more complicated or severe cases, we may refer you to a board certified dental specialist.

The staff at Town & Country Animal Hospital is dedicated to educating you about the importance of your pet’s dental health. The home care products we offer are carefully researched and selected for optimum health benefits. Our dental technicians are well educated and highly trained in dentistry and we take great pride in the services we provide.

Home Dental Care

Prevention is the best protection from periodontal disease.

Preventing periodontal disease by keeping your pet’s teeth and gums healthy isn’t just a job for your veterinarian; it’s your job too. While nothing can take the place of regular visits to Town & Country Animal Hospital for checkups and cleanings, ongoing follow-up oral care at home is just as important in controlling plaque and tartar formation.

The goal of home dental care is to remove plaque before it mineralizes into calculus (tartar), a process that occurs within days of a teeth cleaning. Brushing your pet’s teeth is the single most important procedure you can do to maintain good oral health. If performed regularly, brushing dramatically decreases the incidence of gingivitis and increases the interval between teeth cleaning appointments.

Brushing your pet’s teeth is best started at a young age, before the adult teeth erupt. The younger the animal is, the more likely he or she is to accept it. Regular brushing not only keeps your pet’s teeth clean and healthy, it also enhances the bond between you and your pet. If you are unsure of how to brush your pet’s teeth, please ask a staff member at Town & Country Animal Hospital in Aubrey for instructions. We are happy to instruct and/or demonstrate to you the best and easiest method. Also, please remember to always use tooth paste specifically made for pets, not for people.

If brushing your pet’s teeth is not possible, ask a staff member to help you select the most effective dental products for your pet.

You should also be able to recognize the signs of poor oral health. If you notice any of the following, you should contact us and make a dental appointment for your pet:

  • Persistent bad breath—one of the first signs of dental disease
  • Tartar or plaque buildup (ask your veterinarian how to identify them)
  • A yellowish-brown crust of plaque on the teeth near the gum line
  • Red and swollen gums
  • Pain or bleeding when your pet eats or when the mouth or gums are touched
  • Pawing at the mouth
  • Decreased appetite or difficulty eating
  • Loose or missing teeth

Videos

This video shows two canine teeth extractions in a cat that developed a disease called alveolar osteitis. This is a painful disease secondary to chronic periodontal disease. This cat did not have significant tarter or calculus prior to development of this disease, showing the importance of regular dental procedures to help prevent dental disease in cats.