Veterinary Dentistry Cleaning Your Pet's Teeth

Your pet's good health depends on his/her dental health. Yes, it's a fact. Many severe diseases such as heart, liver, and kidney disease are attributed to periodontal disease. To help keep your pet healthy you must pay special attention to the mouth, particularly the teeth and gums.

I am often asked why I cannot clean the pet's teeth without anesthesia. To properly clean the teeth, both the crown (visible part of the tooth) and the part of the tooth below the surface of the gum must be carefully cleaned of all plaque, calculus, and debris. Looking at the picture above you can see I am using the same sharp instruments your dentist uses. The pet patient must be very still to prevent injury and to allow me to clean the area beneath the gum . Also, it would be very difficult to clean the lingual (side next to the tongue) surface of the tooth. And there are very few pets who would tolerate having the teeth polished. Regular dental prophylaxis is a part of enjoying a pet that is happy, healthy, and free of dental pain.