Routine Dental Care

Mar 23, 2017 | Cats, Dental, Dogs, Pet

At Arnold Pet Station, we believe strongly in preventative dental care. This includes routine dental cleanings and at home dental care, to offset the possibility of dental or other diseases and discomfort in the future.

Grade 1 Dentals

Do you get your teeth cleaned every six months at the dentist? Can you tell when that time is getting near by the plaque in your mouth? Do you worry about the smell of your breath when your teeth are not clean? Imagine what your pet’s mouth is like if their teeth have never been cleaned. (Remember that an animal ages seven times faster than we do. A year without dental care is similar to a human not having visited the dentist for seven years).

It is just a little tartar, you say? Maybe looks like this?

What if your teeth looked like this? Would you get them cleaned?

From the American Veterinary Dental College:

“Periodontal disease is the most common clinical condition occurring in adult dogs and cats, and is entirely preventable. By three years of age, most dogs and cats have some evidence of periodontal disease. Unfortunately, other than bad breath, there are few signs of the disease process evident to the owner, and professional dental cleaning and periodontal therapy often comes too late to prevent extensive disease or to save teeth. As a result, periodontal disease is usually under-treated, and may cause multiple problems in the oral cavity and may be associated with damage to internal organs in some patients as they age.”

Routine dental cleanings help fight periodontal disease and allow our veterinarians to perform a complete oral examinations to screen for gingival pockets, fractured teeth, oral masses or other unseen tooth diseases. By waiting until your dog has visible dental disease, you risk having irreversible damage and tooth loss. The Arnold Pet Station is now offering Grade 1 Prophylactic Dental cleaning for for a fraction of the cost of the expense of waiting until visible disease is present or dental emergency occurs that may cost over $1000.

Periodontal disease is the destruction or degradation of tooth attachment due to bacteria. An estimated 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some form of periodontal disease by the time they reach the age of 2. As this disease progresses, it can lead to tooth root abscesses, jaw fractures and nasal infections. It will eventually have negative impact on the heart, kidneys and liver. Because 2/3 of the tooth is under the gum line, there are often no obvious signs of periodontal disease until it is very advanced.

At Home Dental Care

The gold standard prevention of dental disease is to brush your pet’s teeth MINIMALLY 3 times a week. We recommend a soft toothbrush and C.E.T Enzymatic toothpaste from Virbac. Do not use human toothpaste. Do not use a finger brush as they are not as effective and your pet can bite you by accident.

Place the brush at a 45 degree angle to the gum line.
Brush in a circular motion. Try to reach all tooth surfaces, but focus on the outer surface.
Rinsing with C.E.T Oral Hygiene Rinse can be of benefit. The active ingredient (chlorhexidine) coats the teeth and gums and has antibacterial effects that last up to 6 hours.

Dental diets: Hills Prescription T/D has been shown to reduce gingivitis, plaque and calculus.

Routine at home oral assessment: If you notice bad breath, red, inflamed gums, or buildup of plaque and calculus on the teeth, schedule an appointment to have an oral examination with one of our veterinarians.

At Arnold Pet Station we provide the following dental services: