8 Reasons Why Animal Teeth Cleaning is So Important

8 Reasons Why Animal Teeth Cleaning is So Important

Animal Teeth

As a pet owner, you have your pet’s best interests at heart and always try to make the best choice for their care. When considering animal teeth cleaning, a comprehensive veterinary dental cleaning – also known as a professional dental cleaning -has long-term benefits for your pet’s overall health.

What to Expect From A Professional Animal Teeth Cleaning

• Your veterinarian will educate you and allow you to ask questions about your pet’s dental health.
• A professional animal teeth cleaning always begins with an initial oral exam of your dog or cat’s mouth by a veterinarian or a veterinary dentist while your pet is still awake.
• Blood will be drawn for examination to detect any potential problems that the doctor needs to be aware of and to determine if your pet is healthy enough to undergo anesthesia.
• Your pet is given anesthesia. This worries some pet owners, however, with proper procedures, anesthesia is very safe. Ask your veterinarian about their protocol and experience prior to scheduling a procedure.
• A veterinary dentist and some other veterinarians will also use a local anesthetic in your dog or cat’s mouth during procedures. This allows the veterinarian to use less general anesthetic, thereby improving the safety of the procedure and allowing your pet to recover more quickly and with less pain.

Chomping on kibble and chewing on raw bones and dental-type treats will help scrape plaque from your pet’s teeth, but it’s not nearly as effective as regular brushing and professional animal teeth cleaning. Here are 8 reasons you need to do stay on top of your pet’s dental health.

1.Approximately 80% of dogs and cats experience some degree of periodontal disease by the age of two. This is described as inflammation that affects the structures supporting the teeth including the gums, the roots, the bone around the roots or the periodontal ligaments that anchor the roots to the jawbones.

2. The same things that happen in our mouths happen in our pets’ mouths. A bacterial biofilm coats the surface of the teeth, and if left undisturbed for 72 hours this film will turn into a cement-hardlayer on the teeth. Hundreds of these layers can accumulate on top of one another, resulting in nasty yellow-brown plaque.

3. Regular brushing stops this biofilm from forming and can prevent or reduce the accumulation of plaque. Doing so means healthier teeth in the long term.

4. Sedation-free teeth scaling does not address plaque buildup under the gums where most periodontal disease develops. If the teeth aren’t being buffed after scaling, small chips and scratches created by the scaling tools allow plaque to resume accumulating even more quickly.

5.Plaque is full of bacteria that causes inflammation and infection of the gums, gum recession, and bone destruction around the roots on the teeth. Gingivitis and bone loss result in loose teeth, which are painful.

6.Bacteria can enter the bloodstream through swollen gums and cause harmother places in the body such as on the valves of the heart and the filtration system in the kidneys.

7.Our dogs are often very tolerant and will show any signs that their teeth are causing them pain. They may provide clues such as not tugging as forcefully on their toys, turning their noses up at kibble, preferring soft foods, or rubbing their faces to ease the discomfort.

8. Many small-breed dogs are predisposed to periodontal disease. Yorkies, Pomeranians, Dachshunds, Schnauzers, Chihuahuas, and others all have a predisposition to develop significant periodontal disease at a young age. If your dogis one of these breeds and you are not brushing her teeth daily, you should visit your veterinarian at least twice a year for a dental checkup.

How do your pet’s teeth look? Is it time for an animal teeth cleaning? To protect their dental health as well as their overall health, call us today to schedule an appointment so we can identify any issues and begin treatment before they worsen.