Dental Health

Dental health is an important part of your dog or cat’s overall well-being and preventative care.

At each annual wellness exam the doctor will check your pet’s teeth and determine the grade of dental disease, grade 1 being mild and grade 4 being more severe.  As seen below, is a chart explaining each grade of dental disease and progression. Due to the genetic predisposition of our pets as well as the food they eat, often the first dental cleaning does not need to occur until 3-5 years of age.  Different breeds are genetically predisposed to poorer dental health including smaller breeds such are Yorkshire Terriers, Chihuahuas, Bichon Frise, and more.  Cats are also prone to more dental issues such as resorptive lesions and dental disease and may require dental cleanings more often, with possible extractions.

Anesthesia is required to perform a complete dental cleaning on our pets and gives us the capability to complete a full scaling and polishing of the full mouth.  We are able to complete full mouth radiographs which is a vital part, as 60% of all dental disease is found under the gumline.  Other findings possible during a dental cleaning can be fractured teeth, gingival overgrowth or recession, gingival masses, broken teeth and much more.

If you are ever concerned about your pet’s teeth, give us a call and we can discuss the best options for your pet!