At Burke Animal Clinic, we’re proud to offer dental care and treatment as one of our many services. If it’s been more than a year since your pet’s last dental exam or teeth cleaning, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with one of our vets!
The Importance of Dental Care and Prevention for Your Pet
The health of your pet’s teeth is extremely important, as dental issues in pets can lead to more serious problems later in life. For example, did you know that one in three dogs and cats has gum disease by the time they’re three years old? This disease can lead to permanent tooth loss, affecting your pet’s quality of life and making it difficult for them to chew food. Regular dental exams and teeth cleanings aid in the prevention of painful tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral health issues. Regular brushing will help keep your pet’s mouth healthy, but routine cleaning under anesthesia by a veterinarian is needed to assess oral health, find problems we can’t see on the exam and treat dental disease.
Dental Services Offered for Pets
Unlike human dental cleaning, proper animal oral assessment and dental care must be done under anesthesia. The oral health assessment should include full-mouth intra-oral radiographs (X-rays) to provide a look at what is going on below the gum line. Two-thirds of the tooth structure lies unseen below the gum line. Then plaque and tartar are removed from the surface of the tooth both above and below the gum line using a combination of hand scaling and ultrasonic scaling. Scaling cleans the teeth of the calculus and tartar but leaves behind microscopic scratches that must be removed by polishing to slow the re-deposit of plaque post dental.
Once the cleaning is performed the veterinarian performs a complete oral exam checking for any abnormalities, pockets or masses. This is a more thorough exam than can be accomplished when your pet is awake. At that time, the veterinarian determines if extractions are needed. Most extractions can be performed by our veterinarians.
Of course, pet owners can rest assured that their pets (as well as their vital signs) will be carefully monitored before, during, and after their dental procedure.
Schedule Your Pet’s Appointment With Our Virginia Animal Hospital
If your pet is in need of a dental appointment, feel free to schedule one with Burke Animal Clinic today! You can reach us by calling (703) 569-9600.When was the last time your pet had a dental exam or cleaning?