Oral care is important to help maintain the patients overall health. Often, examination of the oral cavity is difficult because of patient resistance, movement, difficulty in visualization and the small size of the oral structures. General anesthesia is required for a complete dental examination. Laboratory workup and evaluation are done prior to anesthesia. Oral disease may lead to problems in other areas of the body, such as the heart, liver and kidneys.

Our goal in dental prophylaxis, or teeth cleaning, is to reduce or eliminate the major preventable cause of tooth loss and gingivitis or periodontal disease. A dental includes scaling, polishing, irrigating and drying of the oral cavity. Teeth that are decayed, loosened, exfoliated, or fractured will be extracted.

If prevention is to be effective, the cleansing of the tooth surface must be done frequently. We recommend a soft-bristle tooth brush. When brushing your pets teeth, you should not use toothpaste designed for humans. Human toothpaste has higher amounts of detergent and fluoride that may be toxic and cause gastrointestinal (GI) upset. Hill’s (Science Diet) has formulated a prescription diet T/D that acts as an edible toothbrush. T/D has been clinically proven to reduce gingivitis. We recommend feeding 2-3 pieces daily. OraVet is a once-a-week home application that creates an invisible barrier proven to significantly reduce plague and calculus (tartar) formation. For further information please feel free to contact our office.